Xbox Cloud Gaming launches as beta for PC and iOS

Invites are being sent out now, so be sure to check your inbox.

Microsoft has made no secret that they have been working on Xbox Cloud Gaming for both PC and iOS, and they said this would be released fairly soon this year. Now Microsoft has confirmed on Xbox Wire that it launches in beta starting today (April 20).

Initially, it will be for select Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users from all countries where the service has launched:

"Starting tomorrow, we'll begin sending out invites to select Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to start testing the Xbox Cloud Gaming limited beta for Windows 10 PCs and Apple phones and tablets via web browsers.

We're launching xbox.com/play where invitees can play over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles through Edge, Google Chrome, or Safari. Offering cloud gaming through the browser and having a simplified, universal landing page presents a great opportunity to make cloud gaming approachable to more players in more places over time."

As Apple has tried to block gaming streaming services, it won't be an app-based solution, but rather browser-based. Xbox Cloud Streaming supports Chrome, Edge, and Safari.

Besides the obvious fact that you can play really demanding games on weaker hardware wherever you have fast internet, it will also make it possible to try out games before downloading them. Another feature is that you can actually play a certain game while you download it.