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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will include cloud gaming on PC & iOS in 2021

Players will reportedly be able to utilize Microsoft's cloud gaming ecosystem with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on PC and iOS devices as early as 2021.

TJ Denzer

December 9, 2020 8:58 AM

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Microsoft might not have had the most stellar of launch lineups when it came to the Xbox Series X or S, but the company still seems to be banking on a lot of things in the future as it continues to develop its next-gen gaming ecosystem. That includes expansion of its Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass services, which were heavily detailed in a recent Xbox post revealing that cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be available on PC and iOS device hopefully by Spring 2021.

CVP of Microsoft Gaming, Jerret West took to the Xbox blog to share a victory lap about the Xbox Game Pass on December 9, 2020, claiming that over the course of November “Xbox Game Pass monthly engagement more than doubled” as the Xbox Series X and S consoles launched. With that in mind, Microsoft is planning a major expansion to Xbox Game Pass services next year in tandem with its cloud gaming services. Starting in Spring 2021, cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will become available on PC and iOS devices in a beta form.

By far, Xbox Game Pass has been one of the best things going in gaming. This, combined with Smart Delivery, has made upgrading to the new systems relatively easy, as you’ll still have a good ecosystem to play through the program. Likewise, Project xCloud has been a boon, allowing players to access Xbox gameplay and Xbox Game Pass via various devices such as smartphones and tablets. xCloud is also expected to expand its offerings in various regions worldwide in 2021, allowing Australia, Brazil, Japan and Mexico to also do cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Halo Infinite was pushed back to Fall 2021 recently and continues along a concerning development cycle. That said, with Microsoft having bought Bethesda in 2020 and already setting up a number of strong pickups for the Xbox Game Pass, including Psychonauts 2, Warhammer 40,0000: Darktide, Exomecha, and more, the expansion of Xbox’s cloud gaming services can only serve to help Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem further as it readies for a strong 2021.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.