Xbox Cloud Gaming expands to iOS, Windows 10 PCs—and now powered by Series X
While some users have gotten a taste of all of this in the past week, today marks the official launch of some major upgrades to Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming efforts.
“Starting today, Xbox Cloud Gaming is available to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with Windows 10 PCs and Apple phones and tablets, via browser, across 22 countries,” writes Catherine Gluckstein, vice president & head of product, Xbox Cloud Gaming, today on Xbox Wire. “Simply put, we’re bringing the Xbox experience directly to the devices you use most.”
With this update, you can visit xbox.com/play using Apple Safari, Google Chrome, or Microsoft’s own Edge browser to experience what was previously only accessible via smartphone apps. And, technically, Xbox Cloud Gaming should also now be available on macOS running those same browsers. Unfortunately, it seems the service might be getting slammed currently, as while I was able to log in and access the streaming game library earlier, it’s currently offline for me. So, I wasn’t able to try running it on my Mac to confirm.
There’s another incredibly important update that’s come along with today’s expanded access. Previously, Xbox Cloud Gaming was powered by Xbox One S hardware; now, the streaming service is running off of Xbox Series X. This means far faster load times, better frame rates, higher resolutions, and other improvements brought by the next generation of Xbox consoles. However, do be aware that games will still be limited to 1080p/60fps for the time being.
Source: Xbox Wire
Mollie got her start in games media via the crazy world of gaming fanzines, and now works at EGM with the goal of covering all of the weird Japanese and niche releases that nobody else on staff cares about. She’s active in the gaming community on a personal level, and an outspoken voice on topics such as equality in gaming, consumer rights, and good UI. Check her out on Twitter and Mastodon.
