xCloud game streaming will come to iOS with a browser-based solution

Microsoft has been stymied by Apple's rules for the App Store, which all but prohibit the company from bringing its Xbox game streaming service to iOS devices. The company is preparing an update to the Xbox app that lets you stream games from your own Xbox on the same local network, but you won't be able to stream games from the cloud.

According to Business Insider, Xbox head Phil Spencer recently told employees at an all-hands meeting that the company, "will absolutely end up on iOS." With the App Store rules requiring Microsoft to list every single streaming game as a separate App Store release with its own ratings and download and icons and so on, how could it possibly make this happen?

The answer is: by avoiding Apple's ecosystem in favor of the open web. Much like Amazon's just-announced Luna gaming service, Microsoft will build a web-based solution that gamers can access on their iOS devices. The company is said to be targeting an early 2021 release.

While Apple likely views this as a victory—proof that its policies do not prevent such services from being enjoyed on its devices—it's really just more evidence that Apple's platform is too restrictive for some developers and services, and that they