Microsoft tried to launch its xCloud game streaming service on the App Store for iPhone and iPad users, but Apple rejected the app due to its strict guidelines. Now emails revealed in the Epic vs. Apple trial on Wednesday show that Apple even removed a similar app from the App Store after its existence was mentioned by Microsoft.
Microsoft began testing xCloud for iOS in February of last year in a private beta, and things were going well until the company decided to release the app on the App Store. For those unfamiliar, xCloud offers an entire catalog of games that can be played on any device over streaming.
Microsoft tried to launch its xCloud game streaming service on the App Store for iPhone and iPad users, but Apple rejected the app due to its strict guidelines. Now emails revealed in the Epic vs. All iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch) that want to use Xbox Game Pass (xCloud) will need to have iOS 12.0 or later. The app takes up 98.2 MB, so make sure you have enough room on your device before downloading. Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) on iOS What app do I need? You don't need a separate app to access Xbox Game Pass.
Apple claimed that apps like xCloud cannot offer content that hasn’t been previously approved by the company, so the app was never released to the public. Microsoft, of course, tried to argue with Apple to change the company’s decision — as we can see from the emails revealed during the trial between Epic Games and Apple.
As noted by the Verge, Microsoft pointed out that Netflix is an app that offers access to multiple content that is not individually reviewed by Apple, and yet is available on the App Store. More than that, Microsoft told Apple about an app called Shadow, which lets users access their PC game library remotely from any iOS device.
Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming service, also known as Project xCloud, continues to expand across new regions and devices. It takes the luxury of the full Xbox experience beyond consoles, with high. Xbox Cloud Gaming is our technology that allows you to play over 100 console games on the devices you already have with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and a compatible controller. As part of your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, you can enjoy the console games you love, the people you want to play together with, on the devices you already have, all. Apr 30, 2021 For the past three years or so, Microsoft has been working on a cloud-gaming service which was known as Project xCloud. Late last year, Microsoft officially launched this service as a competitor to Google Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and others. But with the official launch came a rebranding, and xCloud is now known as Xbox Cloud Gaming.
As a result, rather than negotiating, Apple quickly removed Shadow from the App Store.
Microsoft was trying to figure out how Shadow, Netflix, and other similar “interactive” apps were able to exist in the App Store while Apple was refusing to approve xCloud. Microsoft put forward Shadow as an example of such a service, only to see it suddenly removed from the store.
Apple later allowed Shadow to return to the App Store, but only because the app offers full access to a Windows PC, rather than being something specific to gaming (although the app’s main purpose was to let users play PC games on iOS). xCloud, on the other hand, had to be rebuilt as a web app to work on the iPhone and iPad.
In multiple occasions, Apple has taken a stand against apps that offer similar capabilities to the App Store and its own game service Apple Arcade. Last year, the company said that it allows streaming games on the App Store, but only if they’re submitted as individual apps. Aside from saying that it had no intention of prejudicing the Shadow app, Microsoft mentioned that Apple’s decisions related to game streaming on iOS result in a “bad experience for customers.”
This public spat has now boiled over into the courtroom battle between Epic Games and Apple, with lawyers on Epic’s side questioning Microsoft and Nvidia representatives about their struggles to bring cloud gaming apps to iOS.
It’s hard to imagine that this will change anything in Apple’s decision not to allow xCloud and other similar services on the App Store, but this will possibly have an impact on the court’s decision as the company has been under investigation for monopoly practices.
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After having to scrap its plan to offer an iOS app due to Apple’s App Store policies, Xbox is officially moving ahead with the web-based xCloud public beta for iOS. The release comes after an early preview last year that gave a first look at xCloud running on iPhone, iPad, and more.
The first Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to start playing titles on iPhone, iPad, and PC tomorrow, April 20, via the web. Xbox announced the news in a blog post today (via The Verge). For now, xCloud for iOS and PC is an invite-only beta but it is a notable step forward after the early preview that Microsoft offered.
Starting tomorrow, if you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, you can check to see if you’ve been invited to public xCloud beta and access it for iOS and PC on Xbox’s landing page here.
Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin sending out invites to select Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to start testing the Xbox Cloud Gaming limited beta for Windows 10 PCs and Apple phones and tablets via web browsers.
While the early preview for iOS started with just Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the official public beta will feature access over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles.
The xCloud beta works with Safari, Chrome, and Edge. In testing back in February, my colleague Bradley Chambers found it truly felt like a beta with considerable lag, but found it impressive and convenient to play console games on iOS. All in all, it looks like xCloud for iOS has a lot of potential.
Microsoft says it will continue inviting Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to the beta and open up xCloud on iOS and PC to all subscribers “in the coming months.”
Xbox Cloud Gaming Mac
While a compatible USB or Bluetooth controller is needed to play all available xCloud games, 50 titles will work with custom touch controls.
The limited beta is our time to test and learn; we’ll send out more invites on a continuous basis to players in all 22 supported countries, evaluate feedback, continue to improve the experience, and add support for more devices. Our plan is to iterate quickly and open up to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in the coming months so more people have the opportunity to play Xbox in all-new ways.
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