Gamers Can Now Play Halo On Their iPhones Without Even Needing A Console

Gaming fans can now play popular sci-fi shooter Halo on their iPhones, and they don't even need a console to link it up to - just the new Xbox app.

Currently the app - which is called Project xCloud - is in public testing mode, meaning you just need to register to make the most of the preview before the service is fully rolled out.

Early tests of the new service began on Android back in October, but this week it was opened up to iOS users, after a version was sent out via email on Wednesday to gamers who had already registered themselves as xCloudtesters.

If you want to sign up to be an xCloud tester yourself, then don't worry, it's completely free. And if you're planning to use your iPhone, simply select 'iOS' as your phone make or model when registering.

While Android users can have their pick of more than 50 games at the moment currently iOS users have just one game to check out, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, as Microsoft fine-tunes its app policy with Apple.

The Project xCloud app lets users play games anywhere, at any time. All they have to do is plug their mobile phone into an Xbox One controller, and then they're set.

The Xbox website explains: "With Project xCloud (Preview) players can play Xbox games on their mobile phone or tablet directly from the cloud, including favourites such as Devil May Cry 5, Tekken 7, Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, and many more - no waiting for downloads."

Explaining what's required to get going, the website says you'll need: a compatible mobile device; a compatible Xbox wireless controller with bluetooth; 5GHz Wi-Fi or mobile data connection 10Mbps down; and, of course, the Xbox Game Streaming app.

The app is currently in preview mode and is being publicly tested, but The Sun reports that the roll-out is expected to happen at some point 'later this year'.

Microsoft

Andrew O'Hara from tech website AppleInsider has already tried out gaming on Project xCloud via iPhone, and was surprised to find the whole thing was a fairly streamlined experience.

Saying that 'bugs we did see were few and far between', O'Hara wrote: "While we gamed, the experience felt very smooth and natural - not at all like we were streaming the entire game. Occasionally we saw a small amount of lag, but nothing that was a deal-breaker and this will hopefully be corrected post-beta.

"Most of our testing was done by playing social online multiplayer matches using our iPhone, though of course this all works on our iPad Pro as well."

Continuing, he added: "While in beta, Microsoft is only testing with Halo - The MasterChief Collection but upon launch, many more will be available.

"That includes Tekken 7, Madden 20, Devil May Cry 5, Borderlands 3, Gears 5 and plenty more."

Topics: Xbox, GAMING, Technology, iPhone

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman