Fortnite comes to Xbox Cloud Gaming for free

What a time to be alive! Xbox Cloud Gaming is the new hot thing in town, with Microsoft offering the cloud game streaming service as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate since 2020.

Subscribers had access to a suite of games included with the service, as long as the membership was active. But that changes today, as a complete free experience is now available to everyone to indulge themselves in and try the service.

Fortnite, the blockbuster sensation, is now available on Xbox Cloud Gaming for free.

Microsoft just announced this new partnership with Epic Games that brings the popular game on supported browser-enable devices for free in 26 countries. And with this, it is the first free-to-play game on the platform.

That means, anyone on the PC, or owning mobile devices powered by Android, iOS, and iPadOS gets in. As long as they have an internet connection, they can now use Xbox Cloud Gaming to play Fortnite without signing up to a Game Pass subscription.

They will not need to install anything — a Microsoft account will suffice.

The Xbox Cloud Gaming version of Fortnite can be played using a compatible controller or native touch controls when using mobile devices.

Not only does this new arrival benefits gamers who might not have been able to play on lower-end devices, it also marks the return of the title to iOS and Android platforms after Epic got tangled in a battle with Apple and Google over app store fees.

You can give it a try here.

This is only the start of free additions to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Microsoft is in the process of forming a free-to-play catalog for the service going forward, with titles all playable without the need of the $14.99 a month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Good times ahead!