Source: Microsoft ends iOS xCloud tests early, Apple policies likely to blame
To update: Microsoft and Apple have confirmed that xCloud will not be available for iOS as of now. Apple told Business Insider that the service violated App Store policies, while Microsoft slammed Apple as “the only general-purpose platform denying consumers cloud gaming and game subscription services.”
Microsoft has confirmed that it has stopped testing its game streaming service Project xCloud on iOS, just days after announcing the launch date for the Android version of the service as part of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
“Our Project xCloud Preview TestFlight period has ended on iOS and we are focused on bringing cloud gaming to Android customers as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate starting September 15,” a Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge. “Our goal is to scale cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass, available on all devices.”
Microsoft is still running a trial of xCloud on Android and has told testers that it will be available until September 11th. However, the iOS test was always a more limited affair: it was capped at 10,000 testers and featured just one game, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, while Android users could access over sixty.
The company said it had to limit the iOS beta “to comply with App Store guidelines,” and it sounds like the same guidelines may be behind the decision to halt testing for now and make the service an Android exclusive -Start service. However, the mention of “all devices” in the official statement suggests that iOS support has not yet been completely dropped.
Neither Microsoft nor Apple have specified which policies are the issue, but it’s most likely due to remote desktop client and in-app purchase rules – even the Google Play Store app ships without in-app purchases. Keep in mind that Google Stadia isn’t available for iOS yet either, possibly for the same reason.
A separate Android version, available through the Samsung App Store, will include purchases for skins and DLC, part of a partnership that also includes three months of Game Pass Ultimate as a pre-order bonus with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 phones, which were announced yesterday.
Samsung expressed optimism about the Microsoft partnership during its Unpacked event, which was watched by 56 million fans, and dedicated an expanded section to Game Pass and Samsung’s strengths as a gaming platform. Meanwhile, Microsoft insists cloud gaming is the medium’s future, even beyond new hardware like the upcoming Xbox Series X.
Factor in the rise of dedicated gaming phones and it’s clear that this is a growing market that Apple risks missing out on entirely if it doesn’t change App Store policies to allow cloud gaming on iPhones and iPads.
Project xCloud launches September 15 on Android phones and tablets as the cloud gaming portion of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, priced at £10.99/$14.99 per month.
from toplistreviewspro.com https://ift.tt/dRigY94
via Toplistreviewspro.com
Post a Comment