Welcome to the Tech Mem Ride Home for Monday, February 15th, 2021. I'm Brian McCullough.

Today we've got our first look at how Microsoft plans to bring X Cloud to every device, even iOS devices,

is Facebook building a smart watch?

Maybe because they're so pissed at Apple?

Is everyone trying to scupper the Invidia Arm Deal and why I failed

to mention that Paramount Plus is the new entrant in the streaming wars?

spoiler alert, it's actually one of the oldest entrants. Here's what you missed today in the world of tech.

This is technically a holiday weekend here in the States. I didn't take today off obviously though my wife did.

So maybe it's fitting that Tom Warren has a first look at Microsoft's X Cloud for the web today because

Lord knows if I weren't doing this I would be probably gaming all day.

If you are skeptical of Google staying in the cloud gaming game, you've got to have more confidence in Microsoft, right? I mean 20 years of Xbox, plus Microsoft's cloud business is like three times the size of Googles.

So apparently Microsoft has begun testing a web-based version of its X Cloud game streaming service

which would allow anyone to play games via any web browser.

This also means iOS devices.

Much like how XCloud currently works on Android tablets and phones,

the web version includes a simple

launcher with recommendations for games, the ability to resume recently played titles, and access

to all the Cloud Games available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Once you launch a game it will run full screen and you'll need a controller to play Xbox

games streamed through the browser.

It's not immediately clear what resolution Microsoft is streaming games at through this web version.

The software maker is using Xbox 1S server blades for its existing X Cloud infrastructure.

...