Microsoft is starting testing the xCloud game streaming service in the browser for iOS and iPadOS

Microsoft has started testing its game streaming service, xCloud, on the web with a browser for iOS and iPadOS and on the computer with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, The Verge reports.

Microsoft’s xCloud service allows subscribers to play games by streaming them from the cloud, instead of having to download the entire local game to their device. Apple and Microsoft had a brief dispute in August last year because the App Store policy restricts services such as xCloud from being available on the platform. Apple has updated its policy to allow xCloud on the platform, but would require Microsoft to send each game available on the service individually to the “App Store” and each to be verified according to the platform’s guidelines.

Microsoft explained the rules as a “bad customer experience” and said it would push xCloud to iOS and iPadOS users via the Safari browser. Screenshots provided to The Verge only display an xCloud experience via the desktop browser, but the experience on iOS and iPadOS will probably be the same. Users will be able to select a game and play it directly in their browser, although the exact resolution at which the game will be transmitted is still unknown. Usually, services like these will automatically adjust the resolution to meet your specific network capacity.

At launch, xCloud will only accept browsers built on Chromium, such as Edge and Chrome on your computer, but The VergeEditor-in-Chief Tom Warren says he expects Safari support to be added after internal testing. With the tests underway, there is no set time frame when a public launch will take place, however The Verge guess that a launch “is very close”.