Microsoft’s new Xbox app will let you stream Xbox One games to your iPhone

Microsoft is about to release a big Xbox app update for iOS that includes the ability to stream Xbox One games to an iPhone. A new Xbox app will arrive in the App Store soon that includes a remote play feature, which lets Xbox One console owners stream their games to an iPhone.

Remote play is different to Microsoft’s xCloud service, which streams games directly from servers instead of your own Xbox One console. This Xbox remote play feature will only connect to your own Xbox console, not to xCloud. It’s similar to Sony’s own PS4 Remote Play feature that’s also available on Android and iOS.

You will be able to access an Xbox console over Wi-Fi, or even an LTE or 5G connection, too. As this app takes control of your home Xbox, you can remotely start your console outside of your home. The Xbox will start up without a sound or the Xbox light at the front, and when you disconnect, it goes back into standby after a brief period of inactivity.

A new Xbox app arrived on Android recently, and this updated iPhone version includes the same new design and new features. You can quickly download or share game clips and screenshots captured on an Xbox One or Xbox Series X / S console, and you can even manage console space and delete games.

This new Xbox app is also a lot faster than the previous iOS version, and it has been totally overhauled to match similar design changes being made across Xbox. It’s all in preparation for the launch of the Xbox Series X / S consoles in November, and Microsoft is also updating its Xbox dashboard with some design changes.

Microsoft’s updated Xbox app doesn’t change the xCloud situation, though. Apple extended an olive branch to allow services like Stadia and xCloud recently, but it included a big catch that would mean Microsoft would have to individually submit hundreds of games as separate apps using its streaming tech. Microsoft wasn’t amused by Apple’s new rules.

Microsoft is currently testing this Xbox app with TestFlight members, meaning it should be available generally in the App Store soon for everyone to download.