Apple’s battle with gaming giants continues to make headlines. However, Xbox boss Phil Spencer says their issue is not financial in nature.
This is a busy season for Microsoft’s Xbox, with the Series X/S already heading to its pre-order stage. The tech giant buying out Bethesda’s parent company Zenimax, and the launch of its Xbox Game Pass on mobile devices.
What stands Xbox out from its rival is its latest take on cloud gaming services. It recently introduced its Project xCloud along with its subscription-based Game Pass.
However, its xCloud testing hit a snag when Apple restricted it in its current form. Nonetheless, Microsoft is still quite determined it’ll bring the Xbox Game Pass to the iOS.
Microsoft’s xCloud service is now live in the Xbox Game Pass app for Android 🎮 pic.twitter.com/zZW3xIrdrq
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) September 15, 2020
Not a financial issue
As many may note Epic Games’ battle against Apple significantly centers around the 30% cut the iOS maker requires of, among all other issues. So many may have assumed that Apple’s issue with Microsoft is somehow similar.
However, during Phil Spencer’s interview with CNBC, he clarifies the company’s issue with Apple.
“Our biggest issue isn’t a financial issue,” says Spencer.
Instead, he further elaborated that Microsoft’s biggest issue is that “cloud game streaming apps are actually not allowed in the way that Game Pass is built for other platform.”
“For us, this is about gamers having great access to the content from the creators they love on the devices they own,” Spencer explained. “That’s our goal.”
Keen on bringing Xbox Game Pass to iOS
Nonetheless, Spencer expressed that Microsoft’s gaming arm, Xbox, will continue to be committed to “bringing Game Pass to all mobile phones out there, including Apple phones.”
Despite current restrictive issues imposed by Apple, Spencer says:
“We’ll continue the conversations and I’m sure we’ll be able to get to some resolution.”
In a separate statement to French newspaper Le Figaro, Apple Insider quotes a similar positive remark from Spencer in handling the situation with Apple.
“I’m determined to find a solution. We talk to them a lot. It won’t be today, probably not tomorrow, but we will manage to bring Game Pass to iPhone,” Spencer was quoted saying.
Microsoft recognizes the heavy influence of smartphones recently on current gaming trends. Activision Blizzard has already testified to its mobile success via Call of Duty: Mobile. To which they plan to replicate such success with Diablo Immortal.
OMG! Xbox just sent this for tomorrow's official launch of Project xCloud
More to come soon! 😱 pic.twitter.com/ACRXjg91JM
— Parris (@vicious696) September 14, 2020
Riot Games is also counting on series of mobile gaming success with its upcoming League of Legends: Wild Rift.
The aforementioned successes are games that are directly made for the mobile platform. What Microsoft is attempting to accomplish is to bring AAA titles to mobile phones, which is a whole new level of mobile platform innovation.
Featured image courtesy of Xbox Game Pass/Twitter