Xbox Cloud Gaming Coming to iOS in Spring 2021

[japasneezemonk]

Does it work well in a browser?
Why can't it be like Netflix where you login and stream the games like you stream movies?

It's sort of like comparing Apples to Oranges. When you're streaming Netflix it can cache a certain portion of the video and do it in lower video quality if necessary so the video won't buffer or stop completely. When you are streaming a game, it's doing it in real time, in response to user input. The most complicated aspect is user interaction. Unless AI can predict exactly what we're going to do next, which is currently not possible, then we need internet speeds to be super fast so that the 1-2 seconds it takes to get a response from the servers become nanoseconds or microseconds.

edit: I am not implying a native app is necessary(I don't believe it is)... just clarifying why game streaming is not like watching Netflix.

 

[InGen]

Which is why we are getting the browser version on Apple devices. I am not sure what you are arguing against.

As someone stated earlier, this won’t run as good as a native app and so the consumer misses out because big lazy Microsoft with all its billions doesn’t want to come to the table with apple and build the best positive application and experience for both their customers. They are utilising a loophole that allows them to deliver a sub-par service through a browser that avoids the approval process an App would which saves them money and gives the consumer a crappier experience. I’m arguing against Microsoft’s approach to how they are letting their service be delivered to Apple users.

 

[Piggie]

To those saying Apple is wrong, I disagree, if you’re going to create a safe and secure closed sandbox ecosystem you have to ensure it’s integrity and not let people find loopholes around your rules. If Xbox (and others) were serious about the future of cloud gaming then they would find a way of creating a SKU’s of each game in their respective libraries and taking the time to have them all reviewed (each game only needs to be reviewed once) and then it’s there, on their service, with apples approval, forever. Each of these companies have the resources to make it happen but they’re playing a power-control game with each other and using the consumer to take sides in the process.

apple knows what it’s doing and what it’s not willing to do in its ecosystem and has that right. If companies don’t want to play by the rules then there’s no place for them here. I feel 0 sympathy for a company as big as Microsoft to not engage in the process of having their library certified and approved by apple simply because it might be a big endeavour for them. It speaks more of their lack of confidence in the longevity of their own service than anythinf

You do know it's just streaming a video feed of a game, and simply altering the video stream based upon a few simply controls at your end.
Just as Netflix streams video and responds to your inputs.

It's not installing games or game code onto your machine.

It's like Apple are saying watching a spooky film on Netflix could make a virus get onto your mac!

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

no doubt a crappier experience compared to native, thanks to Apple's incompetence.

Thank you for having this as the first comment. The thread could have been locked from here.

 

[InGen]

You do know it's just streaming a video feed of a game, and simply altering the video stream based upon a few simply controls at your end.
Just as Netflix streams video and responds to your inputs.

It's not installing games or game code onto your machine.

It's like Apple are saying watching a spooky film on Netflix could make a virus get onto your mac!

I understand the loophole and I get it. But you are avoiding 2 important things, this “streaming service with inputs” would work a lot better if it were built from the ground up in a native app, and Microsoft isn’t doing that because of corporate stubbornness and lack of willingness to invest time and resources into their own product for the benefit of their customer.

All while trying to make you hate on “Gatekeeper Apple” when it’s they that just want you to pay for their service and don’t really care how it’s being delivered to you.

 

[diamond.g]

I understand the loophole and I get it. But you are avoiding 2 important things, this “streaming service with inputs” would work a lot better if it were built from the ground up in a native app, and Microsoft isn’t doing that because of corporate stubbornness and lack of willingness to invest time and resources into their own product for the benefit of their customer.

All while trying to make you hate on “Gatekeeper Apple” when it’s they that just want you to pay for their service and don’t really care how it’s being delivered to you.

As a gamepass:u customer I don't think I would benefit from having to download an app container for every game MS offers (which is around 130) through xCloud. And even less happy about the idea that the app rotation could leave game containers with no functionality because a game is no longer on the service.

 

[mm1250]

I don't think Apple cares about about MS and Google streaming game apps being on the app store. In the end, Apples' grand goal is having everyone on Apple arcade and try to wipe all the game devs so they can control the game market for iOS.

 

[TVreporter]

And Apple Arcade gets a few more shovels of dirt tossed on it...

 

[davidjytang]

To those saying Apple is wrong, I disagree, if you’re going to create a safe and secure closed sandbox ecosystem you have to ensure it’s integrity and not let people find loopholes around your rules. If Xbox (and others) were serious about the future of cloud gaming then they would find a way of creating a SKU’s of each game in their respective libraries and taking the time to have them all reviewed (each game only needs to be reviewed once) and then it’s there, on their service, with apples approval, forever. Each of these companies have the resources to make it happen but they’re playing a power-control game with each other and using the consumer to take sides in the process.

apple knows what it’s doing and what it’s not willing to do in its ecosystem and has that right. If companies don’t want to play by the rules then there’s no place for them here. I feel 0 sympathy for a company as big as Microsoft to not engage in the process of having their library certified and approved by apple simply because it might be a big endeavour for them. It speaks more of their lack of confidence in the longevity of their own service than anythinf

Apple should have engaged in the process of either removing Safari or having the entire Internet certified and approved. /sarcastic

 

[Ketsjap]

Does this mean it won't be accessible via Apple TV? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Apple tv doesn't have a web browser?

That would be the ultimate set-up for me.

 

[joabim]

To those saying Apple is wrong, I disagree, if you’re going to create a safe and secure closed sandbox ecosystem you have to ensure it’s integrity and not let people find loopholes around your rules. If Xbox (and others) were serious about the future of cloud gaming then they would find a way of creating a SKU’s of each game in their respective libraries and taking the time to have them all reviewed (each game only needs to be reviewed once) and then it’s there, on their service, with apples approval, forever. Each of these companies have the resources to make it happen but they’re playing a power-control game with each other and using the consumer to take sides in the process.

apple knows what it’s doing and what it’s not willing to do in its ecosystem and has that right. If companies don’t want to play by the rules then there’s no place for them here. I feel 0 sympathy for a company as big as Microsoft to not engage in the process of having their library certified and approved by apple simply because it might be a big endeavour for them. It speaks more of their lack of confidence in the longevity of their own service than anythinf

How come they let it slide for netflix and other movie streaming services then? There is no review process in place for those?

 

[diamond.g]

Does this mean it won't be accessible via Apple TV? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Apple tv doesn't have a web browser?

That would be the ultimate set-up for me.

Yeah as of right now it won’t work where there is no browser. Maybe Apple will allow cloud gaming on that platform explicitly, but I doubt it.

 

[nylonsteel]

good news

 

[Piggie]

I understand the loophole and I get it. But you are avoiding 2 important things, this “streaming service with inputs” would work a lot better if it were built from the ground up in a native app, and Microsoft isn’t doing that because of corporate stubbornness and lack of willingness to invest time and resources into their own product for the benefit of their customer.

All while trying to make you hate on “Gatekeeper Apple” when it’s they that just want you to pay for their service and don’t really care how it’s being delivered to you.

Errrrr no. That's just wrong.
It "IS" Apple's fault that Msoft are having to only give Apple users a browser version as Apple has told Msoft that if it was an App then Apple would have to individually approve each streamed game.

Which makes no sense as they don't approve each Netflix show.

This is apple's fault.

 

[MacBH928]

It's sort of like comparing Apples to Oranges. When you're streaming Netflix it can cache a certain portion of the video and do it in lower video quality if necessary so the video won't buffer or stop completely. When you are streaming a game, it's doing it in real time, in response to user input. The most complicated aspect is user interaction. Unless AI can predict exactly what we're going to do next, which is currently not possible, then we need internet speeds to be super fast so that the 1-2 seconds it takes to get a response from the servers become nanoseconds or microseconds.

edit: I am not implying a native app is necessary(I don't believe it is)... just clarifying why game streaming is not like watching Netflix.

Why is the native app faster than a browser when it comes to response time?

I meant to follow Netflix model. On Netflix you join Netflix from their site then download the app->login->watch. So on xCloud , signup on site->download app->login->play . Same thing. Apple also sells movies and shows on Netflix, at least on xCloud many games are not on iOS.

 

[InGen]

Errrrr no. That's just wrong.
It "IS" Apple's fault that Msoft are having to only give Apple users a browser version as Apple has told Msoft that if it was an App then Apple would have to individually approve each streamed game.

Which makes no sense as they don't approve each Netflix show.

This is apple's fault.

I’m still not getting your logic, because as someone stated earlier Apple cannot control the entire internet so it is that limitation that prevents them applying their filter of moderation on safari derived content, but I’m sure if apple could they would (without damaging the experience for users) and so when apple says “we don’t want unmoderated content on our device” Msoft/Netflix are finding the loop hole of using safari to deliver that unmoderated content to iPhones cause they now apple is currently unable to apply that filter to the broader internet.

I actually believe apple should be doing to same to Netflix if they are not already but I guess in apples case it just choose their battles and hopefully in time their policies change enough to warrant Netflix being out through the same potential ban from an app