If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Xbox begins testing Project xCloud for iPhone

All sign-ups immediately filled.

Microsoft's test of its Project xCloud service for iPhone went live today - and immediately hit its initial limited capacity for sign-ups.

Project xCloud is Microsoft's technology to allow the streaming of games from the cloud to phones and tablets. It means you can be playing Sea of Thieves on your smartphone on the bus while others play elsewhere on PC/Xbox One. All you need is a compatible device and Bluetooth Xbox controller.

xCloud has been available on Android for some time, though this is the first public trial for iOS devices.

Right now, the only game you can play on iPhone is Halo: The Master Chief Collection. 10,000 spaces to try the game were made available.

We'll update if and when Microsoft re-opens its sign-ups for more iPhone users in the future.

Digital Foundry's Rich Leadbetter was left impressed when he tested xCloud via Android phone in December. "At its best," he wrote, "it's essentially delivering a fully handheld Xbox experience. It's not the finished article by a long chalk and I still think there are fundamental problems with the concept - just as there are with Stadia... But the core technology works - and bearing in mind the scale of the challenge here, that's a remarkable result."

Cover image for YouTube videoProject xCloud Beta Tested: Can Streaming Deliver A Handheld Xbox One Experience?