Xbox Cloud Gaming Brings Fortnite to PC and iOS Devices for Free

Epic Games and Microsoft are partnering to bring Fortnite to Xbox Cloud Gaming. The megahit battle royale is now available to play on PC and even iOS and iPad devices through streaming.

Anyone interested in playing Epic's battle royale just needs a Microsoft account and an iOS device or Windows PC with internet to begin playing immediately through a browser. There's no need to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass as Fortnite will remain free-to-play through Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Cloud Gaming lets users play games instantly without needing to install a game onto their device locally. The service is normally part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but Fortnite does not require a membership to play. Instead, players can log in with their Microsoft account through xbox.com/play on a web browser to begin playing Fortnite.

The browser-based version of Fortnite means players can circumvent Apple's decision to delist Fortnite from the iOS App Store. Nvidia did something similar for a limited time when it brought Fortnite to its streaming platform GeForce Now.

This new free-to-play offering is meant to bolster Xbox Cloud Gaming which Microsoft announced has been used by over 10 million players.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is not the main benefit of an Xbox Game Pass subscription, which gives members access to a library of games, including first-party Xbox titles. But as an additional service, IGN has found Xbox Cloud Gaming to be functional though not perfect. When it works, it's amazing to load up a full game in seconds though you'll be playing at a lower resolution and slight lag depending on your internet.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.