Microsoft’s continued push towards cloud gaming has taken another big step forward today with the arrival of one of the biggest games on the planet. Fortnite, the insanely popular battle royale game from Epic Games, is now available to play from the cloud with your Xbox. This is a big deal on a number of fronts, so let’s break it down.
The first is that this gives iPhone and iPad players another way to play Fortnite again. Apple and Epic Games have suffered a very general chaotic fallout. While these huge corporations were arguing over who gets more of your money, the losers were the players. Fortnite was pulled from iOS and that was the case. Nvidia has already brought it back via GeForce Now, but Microsoft is now joining the party. This is useful if you signed up for Game Pass but don’t want a GeForce Now account.
Naturally, you are not left out if you prefer to use Android, Windows PC, or even Steam Deck. Xbox Cloud Streaming is available through your favorite Chromium-based browser, and according to the accompanying blog post, you may have to use the browser on PC via the Xbox app.
“Today we reached another major milestone as we expanded our business model to make the cloud available to more people in more ways, beyond Xbox Game Pass to offer our first free-to-play title. In partnership with Epic, Fortnite is available via Xbox Cloud Gaming so fans can play on their iOS device, Android phone, tablet or Windows PC through a web browser.“
Currently, you can find Fortnite ready to play through the browser on PC but not in the Xbox app, but it may appear later, so we’ll make sure to update accordingly. You will need a controller, as Xbox Cloud Gaming does not currently support keyboard and mouse.
But the biggest and longest-running implication is that this is the first time Microsoft has added a game to a cloud streaming service that isn’t on Xbox Game Pass. It’s also the first free game to be added to the service, and Microsoft says it’s just the beginning.
“This is just the beginning for us – we’ll learn and implement feedback, and in time we look forward to bringing more free-to-play titles to players across the cloud.“
There is definitely a big future for cloud gaming, and while Microsoft isn’t the first to offer Fortnite or free games, it’s a huge step forward for the platform.
source: Xbox Wire
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