Microsoft on Tuesday (20 April) began inviting iPhone and iPad users to beta test Xbox Cloud Gaming on their devices, a move which could prove a key boost for a service tipped as a premiere 5G use case.
Alongside Windows 10 PC users, the software giant is providing users of Apple devices with web-based access to a catalogue of more than 50 tailored Xbox titles. Microsoft has developed customised controls alongside Bluetooth and USB options.
Gamers will be able to access games though Google Chrome, Safari, or Microsoft Edge.
Cloud gaming is expected to be a key 5G service: the next-generation network technology opens new creative possibilities for developers because they will no longer have to synchronise games on the individual phones of each player, instead using the cloud to perform calculations once.
In a recent blog, Ericsson estimated there are 209 million mobile gamers in the US alone, implying more than half the people in the country play games on their phones at least occasionally.
The vendor has a vested interest in mobile gaming because it will employ 5G networks and edge computing.
Carlos Bravo, director of Cloud Strategy Execution, explained edge servers “can be dimensioned in a better, more efficient way, generating a synchronised gaming experience in the cloud”.
“You won’t feel any lag as you’re moving around, which is critical for a good gaming experience, and you won’t have to be hooked into a Wi-Fi network.”
