Microsoft xCloud Game Streaming Lands on iOS, PCs Next Spring

(Credit: 8bitdo)

Microsoft will finally expand its Xbox cloud gaming service to iOS and PCs next spring.

The xCloud service is currently available as a free perk with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs $14.99 a month. Since September, subscribers have been able to stream Xbox titles over the internet to their Android smartphones and tablets. Now iPhone users and Windows laptop owners will soon be able to enjoy the xCloud streaming too.

“In Spring 2021, we will take the next step in our journey to reach more players around the world by making cloud gaming as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate available on Windows PCs through the Xbox app and browser, and iOS devices through mobile web browser,” the Xbox team said in today’s announcement.

But why no xCloud app for iOS? Blame Apple. Back in September, the company announced strict rules around cloud-gaming apps, which required companies to submit and publish each offered game as an individual title on the App Store. With 100+ games on xCloud at the moment, that was a no-go for Microsoft. However, Apple is giving developers free rein for cloud-gaming services that launch directly through the mobile browser.

According to Microsoft, xCloud’s expansion to PCs and iOS promises to open the Xbox ecosystem to an additional one billion devices—and potentially boost subscribers to Xbox Game Pass, of course.

Microsoft plans on sharing more details about its cloud-gaming ambitions early next year. But the company won't be alone in offering a cloud-gaming service for iOS. Last month, both Nvidia and Google’s Stadia announced they're bringing their cloud-gaming services to the operating system as well via the mobile browser.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
Xbox 360 FTW
The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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