It’s back. Fortnite, one of the world’s most popular and profitable games, has been unavailable on iOS devices since August 2020 due to the blockbuster court case between developer Epic Games and Apple. But now there’s a workaround for some users — Xbox Cloud Gaming. Microsoft’s game streaming service lets you access Fortnite on your iPhone or iPad, without any additional subscriptions or downloads. Here’s how it works.
How to play Fortnite via Xbox Cloud Gaming
Normally, you need to have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (which costs $15 per month) to access games on Xbox Cloud Gaming, but since Fortnite is a free-to-play title across all platforms, Microsoft allows players to access it without having to purchase a subscription. You don’t need to download any new apps, either.
Here’s the steps you need to take:
- Create a Microsoft account if you don't already have one
- Head to the Fortnite page on the Xbox Cloud Gaming site on your web browser (Safari for iOS users)
- Enter your Microsoft account login details
Xbox Cloud Gaming is only available in 26 countries right now, but Microsoft is looking to expand its reach as time goes on. Since this version of Fortnite is streaming from the cloud, its performance will vary depending on your internet speeds. So this version might feel slightly different than the native mobile edition you’re familiar with.
You can use touch controls or any supported controller options to play Fortnite on your mobile device.
According to the Xbox team, Fortnite is just the first of many free-to-play offerings the Cloud Gaming service will offer in the months and years ahead.
“It’s an important step to add a Free-to-Play title to the cloud gaming catalog as we continue our cloud journey,” Vice President and Head of Product for Xbox Cloud Gaming Catherine Gluckstein said in a blog post from May 5. “We’re starting with Fortnite and will look to bring more Free-to-Play games people love in the future.”
