After a short invite-only beta period, Microsoft has announced that all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now enjoy Xbox Cloud Gaming on Mac, iPhone, or iPad. To play, simply visit xbox.com. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a game streaming service package that includes Xbox Game Pass, which gives you access to a big library of Xbox and PC titles, and Xbox Live Gold. More importantly, it gives you access to Xbox Cloud Gaming, which allows you to start playing certain Xbox games on other devices, like your iPhone or iPad. Receive notifications about new games coming to Xbox Game Pass, and start playing the moment your game is available when you pre-download it to your Xbox One. Save up to 20% on Xbox One game purchases from the existing Xbox Game Pass catalog, plus 10% off any Xbox One game add-ons For help, please visit support.xbox.com. Immerse yourself in a library of over 100 high-quality games. Enjoy the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, EA Play, and play across devices from the cloud when you join Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. JOIN ULTIMATE SEE ALL PLANS. Subscription continues automatically at $14.99/mo. Unless cancelled through your Microsoft Account.
Updated 06/28/21: Xbox Cloud Gaming through the browser is now available to all Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. This article has been updated throughout with the latest information from Microsoft.
While there’s still time before iOS users will finally be able to join in on the fun, looks like M1 Mac users can already enjoy xCloud games using the Android emulator. For those who aren’t familiar, Microsoft’s xCloud is a cloud gaming service, which allows subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to play more than 150 games on Android.
Last year, we wrote about how Apple’s restrictive App Store rules would cause millions of gamers to miss out on Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service (née xCloud). Microsoft later updated the Xbox app to stream games over your local network from your own Xbox, but that’s not the same thing as a cloud gaming service where you don’t need to download or install games at all.
After months of hand-wringing and probably back-room negotiations, Microsoft finally announced that it would build a web-based solution for devices on which it can’t provide an app, like iPhone and iPad. After a short invite-only beta period, Microsoft has announced that all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now enjoy Xbox Cloud Gaming on Mac, iPhone, or iPad. To play, simply visit xbox.com/play using Edge, Chrome, or Safari browsers on your Apple device.
Xbox Game Pass On Mac
Xbox Game Pass On Mac Bootcamp
Most games are made to be played with a controller, but Apple’s devices support modern Xbox controllers just fine. Just sync it to your Mac as you would any Bluetooth device, or plug in via USB. On iPhone or iPad, we have a guide to pairing your Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S controller.
In addition to the broad availability of Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly code-named xCloud) to all subscribers, Microsoft has upgraded the servers that run the games in the cloud to new hardware based on the Xbox Series X. This means faster performance, much quicker loading times, and better visual quality. Games will stream at 1080p and 60fps, but the company says that “Going forward we’ll continue to innovate and add more features to enhance your cloud gaming experience.”
On Xbox, all saved games are always synced to the cloud, as is other user data like friends lists and achievements. So everything you do on a console will be there waiting for you in the cloud, and vice-versa.
The Xbox Cloud Gaming expansion comes along with an expansion of Xbox-ready game accessories for iPhones. The popular Razer Kishi controller, originally only for Android phones, now has an MFi-certified version for iPhones. The new Backbone One controller for iPhone features a dedicated button to launch the Xbox Cloud Gaming web app. For a limited time, Microsoft is offering three-month free trial to new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with the purchase of either controller.