Microsoft is testing a new version of its Xbox app that will let Xbox users play games remotely on their iPhones and iPads using streaming functionality. The new feature was rolled out to TestFlight users this morning.
The Xbox streaming option is distinct from Microsoft's xCloud service, which it has been clashing with Apple over. xCloud is designed to stream games from Microsoft's servers, while the Xbox streaming option requires users to connect their iPhones to their Xbox consoles.
As The Verge points out, the new Xbox streaming option is similar to the PS4 Remote Play app that Sony offers on Apple's iPhones and iPads. Remote Play lets users play their PS4 games over WiFi on an Apple device.
Xbox's streaming feature will work outside of the home, like the PlayStation version, allowing Xbox owners to access and play their games from their Xbox when not at home. The updated Xbox app is being tested by TestFlight members at the current time and will likely see a public launch soon.
As for xCloud, Microsoft has a path to bring the feature to the iPhone and the iPad after recent App Store policy changes, but introducing xCloud on Apple devices will require Microsoft to upload each individual game to Apple's App Store for review purposes.
Microsoft has said that this is a "bad experience for customers" who want to "jump directly into a game from their curated catalog within one app just like they do with movies or songs" and not be forced to "download over 100 apps to play individual games from the cloud."
Project xCloud launched on September 15 as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and while it is available on Android devices, it is not available to iOS users.
Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others.
During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more.
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date.
Keep reading...
Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind.
Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe.
Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features.
OLED Display
The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating.
When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition.
The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
In fact - If I were a developer, I would attempt to steer clear of making any apps for their platform. The public spat between Epic Games and Apple is another example. Both are in the wrong but I would tend to agree with Epic since their stance was to save users money.
Apple is frustrating users more and more. Just stay out of the apps! Sell your hardware and shut up. Pisses me off that I bought a 12" iPad Pro and yet Apple deems it necessary to meddle with what apps I can and can't use. Apple is becoming to look at its users as the enemy.
Apple is frustrating users more and more. Just stay out of the apps! Sell your hardware and shut up. Pisses me off that I bought a 12" iPad Pro and yet Apple deems it necessary to meddle with what apps I can and can't use. Apple is becoming to look at its users as the enemy.
Isn't that YOUR mistake though?
It's no secret that Apple hardware is tied to their software and the garden walls are high.
I'd say return the iPad (or sell, depending on time of purchase) and get a Surface instead.
