Lori Grunin / CNET
I've had an iPhone since the iPhone 3G in 2008 and currently have an iPhone XS Max. I love that iOS Ecosystem and apart from a few memorable little annoyances here and there, I've never had a problem with it. This is the case until now. On4th of August Microsoft has announced the full version of Xbox Game Pass will come to android phones, but no iPhones. Now, for the first time in a long time, my plans to upgrade to that iPhone 12 have been questioned.
Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft's subscription-based Netflix-like game service. There are currently around 200 games available to download and play on the Xbox One family of systems or PC. However, beginning September 15, subscribers can use Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Stream over 100 games on an Android phone or tablet. As an avid Xbox gamer who doesn't own Android mobile devices, this has puzzled me.
I'm mainly an Xbox gamer
Having owned an Xbox One since its release in 2013, I am fully invested in the Xbox ecosystem and plan to take full advantage of Microsoft. The Xbox Series X. is my first choice in the next generation of consoles because of features like backwards compatibility (up to the original Xbox), free and automatic improvements for old and some current games, fast resumption and faster loading times. Most likely, I'll get the PS5 as well, which is expected sometime on this vacation, although I probably won't pull the trigger until 2021 at the earliest. I'll be buying an Xbox Series X when it launches in November, and I'm seriously considering the yet-to-be-announced Series S for the home office.
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Xbox Game Pass allows me to download and try more games than I really have the time. With the Ultimate membership, I also have the option to stream over 100 Game Pass games to my phone. Well don't my Phone - actually an Android phone. Which in turn I don't have.
Instead, I have to make a sadistic choice resembling a Green Goblin: stay in the iPhone ecosystem and buy an additional Android phone to stream Game Pass games, or drop the iPhone and switch to Android entirely.
Apple and Microsoft
Despite the fact that there was Xbox Game Streaming TrialFor the past 10 months, there has been no official word from Apple on iOS as to when a full version will be released. Microsoft said in a statement earlier this month, "Apple alone is the only general-purpose platform denying consumers cloud games and game subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass." And things don't look particularly good when Microsoft added that the company "has no way of translating our vision of cloud gaming to iOS players with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate via the Apple App Store".
Apple's answer This included ensuring that its customers "enjoy great apps and games from millions of developers and game services" and that game services "can absolutely be launched on the App Store as long as they follow the same guidelines that apply to all developers, including submitting games individually for review and display in charts and search. "
Microsoft
So basically what Apple is saying is that it is throwing the baby out with the bathwater and not allowing games to be streamed on the App Store as it doesn't individually review every game available to stream on Game Pass and the quality of each game can evaluate.
I'm not sure why Apple has this particular stance, and honestly, I don't really care. The decision is why I can't stream Xbox games on my iPhone and the company is actually forcing me to switch my phones to get it done.
iPhone or Android?
So now I'm in that pickle. Do I buy a cheap Android phone like the Pixel 4A and keep my iPhone? Or should I completely dive into #TeamAndroid and get something premium like one? Note 20 Ultra?
I happen to have a company thanks to my work at CNET Galaxy S20 Plus at hand that I can use as a reference. I don't own it, but it will allow me to try the Game Pass Beta to see if it works for me before turning my entire phone life upside down. It sure isn't a permanent solution, and I know other iPhone users in the same situation as me are not lucky enough to have a replacement Android in the house. And since I was looking forward to streaming Xbox games on my phone and buying the iPhone 12, the prospect of switching operating systems definitely dampened my excitement.
What do you think? Let me know if I should take the plunge or hold my iPhone a little longer. Has it been as daunting as I think for anyone who recently switched ecosystems? What other Android features than Game Pass make the switch worthwhile? Turn off the comments below and hope Apple and Microsoft sort this out soon in the meantime.
