A report earlier this week indicated that Microsoft’s new Xbox app would come to iOS with support for streaming Xbox games to your iPhone. The app is now available in beta, and The Verge has a hands-on look at how it works.
Xbox One owners have been able to stream their games to PCs running Windows 10 since 2015, but Mac compatibility has been notably, and expectedly, lacking. A new app, OneCast, promises to deliver. While we Mac users have long awaited Microsoft to give us an official Xbox app for MacOS (much like the Windows 10 version), I have been trying to find a way to emulate the Xbox app on Mac, for useful input into in-game text chat in games like Warframe when it can get very tiresome to use the app on a phone. Xbox Cloud Gaming runs inside the Safari web browser, since Apple is taking a stubborn stance with cloud-based game streaming services and doesn't allow them to have their own apps. To play Xbox console games from the cloud on your device you’ll need the following: i. An active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership in a supported region ii. A supported device including Windows 10 PCs, Apple or Android phones and tablets iii. A compatible controller connected via Bluetooth or USB. Select games can be played with Xbox touch.
First and foremost, what’s important to note here is that the new Xbox app is not the same as Microsoft’s xCloud streaming game service. Here’s how the two compare:
- The new Xbox app lets you stream games from your Xbox One console to your iPhone
- Microsoft’s Cloud service lets you stream games directly from servers, no Xbox One console required.
Microsoft and Apple have engaged in a public dispute over whether or not streaming game services should be available through the App Store, with Microsoft balking at Apple’s stringent requirements. The new Xbox app is a new solution that at least brings remote gaming capabilities to Xbox console owners.
The Verge details how the app connects to your home Xbox One console:
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You will be able to access an Xbox console over Wi-Fi, or even an LTE or 5G connection, too. As this app takes control of your home Xbox, you can remotely start your console outside of your home. The Xbox will start up without a sound or the Xbox light at the front, and when you disconnect, it goes back into standby after a brief period of inactivity.
In addition to playing games from your Xbox on your iPhone, the new Xbox application also allows you to download and share game clips and screenshots, manage settings and storage, and delete games.
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Here is a short video showing how the Xbox app works on iPhone, including how to connect directly to the Xbox One console and play:
There’s no public release date for the new Xbox app for iPhone users just yet, but it should be available soon. The beta is running through Apple’s TestFlight platform, but there are currently no open spots.
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