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Xbox Cloud Gaming Arrives on PC, iOS This Week in Beta

Starting on Tuesday, Microsoft will send the first beta invites to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. The cloud gaming will occur over the browser.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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(Credit: Microsoft)


This week, the cloud-gaming feature on Microsoft’s Xbox is opening up to Windows 10 PCs and Apple iPhones and iPads via a limited beta. 

On Tuesday, Microsoft will send out the first beta invites to a select group of players subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs $14.99 a month. 

The cloud-gaming feature, also known as xCloud, has been a free perk on the Game Pass Ultimate subscription. It removes the need to play the game on an Xbox console. Instead, you can simply stream the title over a Wi-Fi or mobile internet connection. 

xbox game streaming on a phone
Credit: Microsoft

The feature was previously only available for Android smartphones and tablets. But the beta expands the game streaming to the Windows and iOS. Invited players will be able to stream the games on a browser, including Edge, Chrome, and Safari. All they have to do is visit xbox.com/play, where they’ll get access to over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles. 

“In the early stages of the beta, we’ll be focusing on fine-tuning features and creating a consistent experience across platforms, while making sure games are running their best,” Microsoft said in the announcement

The company plans on sending out more beta invites over time to gamers in the US, Canada, and 20 other eligible countries. “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,” the company added. 

However, you’ll need a Bluetooth or USB-connecter controller to play some of the games. Over 50 other titles in the catalog also feature touch-based controls. The other requirement is an internet connection with at least a 10Mbps download speed.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

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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