Upcoming Xbox App Update Will Let Xbox Users Stream Games to iPhone and iPad

[MacRumors]

Microsoft is testing a new version of its Xbox app that will let Xbox users play games remotely on their iPhones and iPads using streaming functionality. The new feature was rolled out to TestFlight users this morning.

The Xbox streaming option is distinct from Microsoft's xCloud service, which it has been clashing with Apple over. xCloud is designed to stream games from Microsoft's servers, while the Xbox streaming option requires users to connect their iPhones to their Xbox consoles.

As The Verge points out, the new Xbox streaming option is similar to the PS4 Remote Play app that Sony offers on Apple's iPhones and iPads. Remote Play lets users play their PS4 games over WiFi on an Apple device.

Xbox's streaming feature will work outside of the home, like the PlayStation version, allowing Xbox owners to access and play their games from their Xbox when not at home. The updated Xbox app is being tested by TestFlight members at the current time and will likely see a public launch soon.

As for xCloud, Microsoft has a path to bring the feature to the iPhone and the iPad after recent App Store policy changes, but introducing xCloud on Apple devices will require Microsoft to upload each individual game to Apple's App Store for review purposes.

Microsoft has said that this is a "bad experience for customers" who want to "jump directly into a game from their curated catalog within one app just like they do with movies or songs" and not be forced to "download over 100 apps to play individual games from the cloud."

Project xCloud launched on September 15 as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and while it is available on Android devices, it is not available to iOS users.

(Thanks, Art!)

Article Link: Upcoming Xbox App Update Will Let Xbox Users Stream Games to iPhone and iPad

 

[techno-Zen]

These apps suck, so much latency to be useful even if your devices are hardwired on your network

 

[adbe]

Any reason to switch from OneCast since that's working great for me across iPad and AppleTV?

 

[NightFox]

These apps suck, so much latency to be useful even if your devices are hardwired on your network

Let's give this one a chance, huh?

 

[Anson_431]

Sigh...... I honestly hope this feature pulls through to the final release and won't be stuck in TestFlight......

It's just stupid to have to use Android just to stream play my xbox games......

 

[adbe]

Sigh...... I honestly hope this feature pulls through to the final release and won't be stuck in TestFlight......

It's just stupid to have to use Android just to stream play my xbox games......

You're talking local streaming right? OneCast has been doing that for ages. This was never on Apple. Sony managed to get a local stream app into the App Store, 3rd parties have managed to do the same for Xbox One. MS just weren't interested.

 

[thedocbwarren]

Realistically this would only work if they can limit the games and content to Apple's policy. Tim Cook has mentioned he wishes to not publish certain content on the Store, etc. They would need to limit it.

 

[Chad Hyatt]

Apple is frustrating users more and more. Just stay out of the apps! Sell your hardware and shut up. Pisses me off that I bought a 12" iPad Pro and yet Apple deems it necessary to meddle with what apps I can and can't use. Apple is becoming to look at its users as the enemy.

 

[btrach144]

These apps suck, so much latency to be useful even if your devices are hardwired on your network

Yet you haven’t even tried the Xbox implementation of it.

As someone who was in the xCloud iOS beta, it was extremely smooth. I have symmetrical gigabit internet so I expect it to be just as smooth.

 

[Chad Hyatt]

In fact - If I were a developer, I would attempt to steer clear of making any apps for their platform. The public spat between Epic Games and Apple is another example. Both are in the wrong but I would tend to agree with Epic since their stance was to save users money.

 

[drcre8tive]

I imaging lag might be an issue, but this sounds promising.

 

[adbe]

In fact - If I were a developer, I would attempt to steer clear of making any apps for their platform. The public spat between Epic Games and Apple is another example. Both are in the wrong but I would tend to agree with Epic since their stance was to save users money.

Epic doesn't give a crap about saving you money.

 

[Merode]

If they also made an app for Mac, that would be great. From what I tested on Windows, it works great. Much better than PS4 remote play.

Any reason to switch from OneCast since that's working great for me across iPad and AppleTV?

It will be free, isn't that great?

 

[Rogifan]

Realistically this would only work if they can limit the games and content to Apple's policy. Tim Cook has mentioned he wishes to not publish certain content on the Store, etc. They would need to limit it.

How so? There’s lots of things one can find on the internet that wouldn’t be allowed in the App Store. Last time I checked Apple has no restrictions on what sites you can visit via a browser.

Yet you haven’t even tried the Xbox implementation of it.

As someone who was in the xCloud iOS beta, it was extremely smooth. I have symmetrical gigabit internet so I expect it to be just as smooth.

How is this different other than you’re connecting to your Xbox one of Microsoft‘s servers? I’m trying to understand how Apple can justifiably allow one but not the other.

 

[rtr1985]

Did the iPad version update for new iPads yet? Yeeesh.

 

[mthomas184]

In fact - If I were a developer, I would attempt to steer clear of making any apps for their platform. The public spat between Epic Games and Apple is another example. Both are in the wrong but I would tend to agree with Epic since their stance was to save users money.

How is Apple in the wrong when their policy has been the same since day 1? Please, enlighten us.

 

[cateye]

These apps suck, so much latency to be useful even if your devices are hardwired on your network

Says more about your network than the viability of something like this. With XBox and mobile device on the same network with a quality router linked by 5GHz wireless, lag should be minimal dictated entirely by physics alone.

 

[m11rphy]

In fact - If I were a developer, I would attempt to steer clear of making any apps for their platform. The public spat between Epic Games and Apple is another example. Both are in the wrong but I would tend to agree with Epic since their stance was to save users money.

Oh course it was lol

 

[kryogyn]

I bet apple will still try to block this.

 

[Ry L]

This has to be approved, because of Sony’s remote play app does the same thing. At this point if this was the only way to play Game Pass games on the go I’d be fine with it. Just download to my local Xbox, and stream from there. Assuming my internet is good enough. No need for the full xCloud experience.

 

[kirk.vino]

Yet you haven’t even tried the Xbox implementation of it.

As someone who was in the xCloud iOS beta, it was extremely smooth. I have symmetrical gigabit internet so I expect it to be just as smooth.

Apples to oranges! With the xCloud gaming you only need to worry about 1 device that’s connected to the servers. With remote gameplay both devices, your host console and your mobile device, have to have a super fast connection.

 

[Blackstick]

Now add macOS like Playstation has already done...

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Apple is frustrating users more and more. Just stay out of the apps! Sell your hardware and shut up. Pisses me off that I bought a 12" iPad Pro and yet Apple deems it necessary to meddle with what apps I can and can't use. Apple is becoming to look at its users as the enemy.

Isn't that YOUR mistake though?

It's no secret that Apple hardware is tied to their software and the garden walls are high.

I'd say return the iPad (or sell, depending on time of purchase) and get a Surface instead.

Boom. No more pissed-off Chad.

 

[Appleman3546]

Theoretically, could a user access xcloud from their own xbox using this app? Essentially, instead of directly connecting to xcloud (a to b), they would be connecting to their xbox which connects to the xcloud (a to b to c) ... might be a way around Apple's specific rules because the offending device would be the user's own console

 

[69Mustang]

I bet apple will still try to block this.

Doubtful. Apple has long allowed remote streaming from -here's the key- your own hardware. It's exactly what PS4 Remote Play currently does on iOS devices. X-Cloud is completely different because it streams it's entire catalog of games from MS's servers; which Apple doesn't allow... yet.