Microsoft is reportedly angling to get its xCloud game streaming tech on iOS devices by running it through a web app, which it hopes to launch by 2021.
Apple redefined its App Store rules to explicitly prohibit game streaming apps, which prevented Microsoft from getting its xCloud Xbox streaming tech on iPhones and iPads – but according to a new report, the company will attempt to circumvent the rules by letting players access xCloud through a web app. Microsoft had added xCloud to its Game Pass subscription service, and in a recent meeting, EVP and gaming lead Phil Spencer confidently told employees that Game Pass would be coming to iPhones and iPads via a ‘direct browser-based solution,’ sources told Business Insider. Microsoft is reportedly aiming to launch its iOS version in 2021. Apple’s redefined App Store terms weren’t specifically phrased to keep out competition; specifically, the company opposes game streaming services for offering catalogs of games that Apple can’t approve title by title. It’s unclear whether Microsoft’s web app solution would adhere to Apple’s rules.
