Xbox Cloud Gaming tests for iOS and PC begin soon - here's how to join
Get your head in the Cloud
Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently available as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on Android devices but if you've been feeling left out on a different platform, that's about to change.
Microsoft has announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming public testing is coming to Windows 10 PC and iOS devices with a limited beta for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members.
Being selected is simple: you'll just need to be subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Starting on April 20, select members will be invited to test the service out through web browsers, with Edge, Google Chrome, and Safari all supported. The test will take place on a new website, xbox.com/play.
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Over 100 games will be available to try out, with over 50 titles currently supporting touch controls. There is no mention of exactly how many invites are being sent out, so if you aren't selected immediately, just keep waiting.
What's next for the Cloud?
Leaked footage has shown examples of what Xbox Cloud Gaming will look like on PC, so it'll be interesting to see just how this format changes in the months of testing ahead.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is continuing to expand, with 16 backward compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games recently added to the service, including games like Gears of War 3 and Viva Pinata. Microsoft is also reportedly testing 1080p streams for Xbox Cloud Gaming, improving the visual quality of games being streamed.
Microsoft recently finished its acquisition of ZeniMax Media, meaning Bethesda Softworks is now Xbox first-party. Future titles from Bethesda Softworks and Xbox Game Studios will launch day and date into Xbox Cloud Gaming.
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This comes at a time when Google has shuttered its first-party studios, limiting the amount of first-party content Stadia will receive in the future.
Samuel Tolbert is a freelance games journalist. His bylines can be found at Android Central, Windows Central, iMore and TechRadar.