Virtual reality is booming, and one of the biggest use cases for VR headsets is gaming. Some of the best VR headsets to date, like Meta's Quest lineup, have achieved success due to their virtual reality gaming titles. That's why Apple Vision Pro, the first-ever VR headset from Apple, is in an interesting position. It's billed as a "spatial computer" rather than a typical VR headset. Since it's a first-generation device, it also doesn't have the best app and game support just yet. In fact, most of the well-known games supported on Vision Pro are really just iPad apps running in visionOS rather than native apps.

That doesn't mean you can't play AAA gaming titles on Vision Pro, though. By using cloud gaming services, it's possible to play PC games in visionOS with a web browser. But is it any good? I tried Xbox Cloud Gaming on Vision Pro, and there were plenty of positives and negatives to cloud gaming with Apple's headset.

Getting started with cloud gaming on Vision Pro

More services are available than just Xbox Cloud Gaming, but there's a catch

The two main ways to game in the cloud using Apple Vision Pro are with the Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now Ultimate services. GeForce Now is objectively the better option, because it supports 4K game streaming with the Ultimate plan. However, the GeForce Now ultimate subscription costs $20 per month.

By comparison, Xbox Cloud Gaming is bundled in with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which is a cheaper subscription. It costs $17 per month, and also unlocks a bunch of other features and games in the Xbox ecosystem. As of February 2024, Statista reports that 34 million people are subscribed to Game Pass Ultimate. That's why Xbox Cloud Gaming is the more likely service people will use for game streaming, and why it was chosen for this hands-on.

Here's the catch: you can't just load up Safari in visionOS and use your preferred cloud gaming service. Safari doesn't support progressive web apps on Apple Vision Pro, which are required to use cloud gaming services. There may be multiple ways to get around this, but I went with the Nexus+ browser. It's a third-party app designed to run progressive web apps, and it's completely free. The browser is also frameless, so you'll get the most immersive experience while gaming in visionOS.

You'll want to use a controller with Vision Pro as well. You can use hand and eye tracking to control games in visionOS, but we really don't recommend it. Most controllers that support Bluetooth will work with Vision Pro, including Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch controllers.

What I liked about Vision Pro cloud gaming

Controller support was seamless, and the experience was incredibly immersive

After the initial setup process, getting started with Xbox Cloud Gaming is as simple as logging into your Microsoft account and choosing a game. I went with Forza Motorsport, the latest racing game in the Forza series. I've always envied the expensive racing simulator setups that make you feel like you're really inside a racecar, and was curious whether Vision Pro provides a similar experience. The experience wasn't disappointing. I was able to make the Forza Motorsport window in visionOS giant, and Vision Pro's tiny field of view came in handy here. With the Forza Motorsport window taking up my entire FOV and the Vision Pro light seal in place, I was completely immersed in each race.

The most impressive part of using Xbox Cloud Gaming on Vision Pro was the lack of latency. It only took a minute or two to load Forza Motorsport, and it was hard to tell I wasn't playing the game natively on my headset. This will largely depend on the speed of your Wi-Fi connection, but mine isn't that great. I get around ~350 Mbps speeds, and that was enough to comfortably use cloud gaming on Vision Pro. For single-player games, or casual multiplayer games, Xbox Cloud Gaming is totally usable on Vision Pro.

What I didn't like about Vision Pro cloud gaming

The limiting factor is Xbox Cloud Gaming's maximum resolution, not Vision Pro

However, the problem with cloud gaming on Vision Pro is the maximum supported resolution of the major services. Xbox Cloud Gaming only supports a 1080p resolution, which is fine on smaller devices like phones or tablets. But when you blow up an Xbox Cloud Gaming window to fill Vision Pro's field of view, the 1080p resolution just isn't enough. This wasn't an issue while playing Forza Motorsport, but it was a problem when I switched over to Fortnite. In a battle-royale style game with a lot of small objects and movement, you can really notice the lack of clarity. The 1080p resolution is more likely to impact your in-game performance than latency if you have a good Wi-Fi connection, in my experience.

This is perhaps the biggest reason why you might want to pay for GeForce Now Ultimate over Xbox Cloud Gaming. The Vision Pro displays have a resolution of 4K per eye, and GeForce Now Ultimate can support up to a 4K resolution while cloud gaming. GeForce Now still won't completely maximize the Vision Pro screens, but it will get considerably closer than Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Should you use Xbox Cloud Gaming on Vision Pro?

Honestly, it's a pretty enjoyable experience with the right conditions

So, should you use a cloud gaming service like Xbox Cloud Gaming on Apple Vision Pro? The answer is a bit complicated. You definitely shouldn't buy Vision Pro for that purpose, because there are plenty of ways to get a better gaming experience for $3,500. However, if you have a Vision Pro headset, it's worth giving cloud gaming a shot. The experience will probably be better than you think.