It’s been a few years in the making, but Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) game streaming service is finally being tested. You know what that means? Well, just that it’s a bit closer to making it to public rollout. But that in itself is good news.
Back in 2019, xCloud rumours started firing up along with the imminent launch of Google’s Stadia. While we all know how Stadia’s managing presently, we’re betting Microsoft can knock out a brilliant alternative come the launch of xCloud.
Xbox, meet the xCloud
According to reports, xCloud will integrate with GamePass and allow current players the ability to start up one of more than 100 titles and play it instantly over the cloud. The service is already available on mobile devices, but not the consoles.
“Some Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings will be able to access the xCloud integration today, a feature that lets you click play on an Xbox Game Pass game and stream it immediately,” The Verge details. This means there’s no download time, no data costs and very quick and painless booting.
That means you will never have to sit through a download to test out a game, essentially. “This new xCloud integration will allow Xbox owners to try games before they fully download them and potentially demo or try before you buy in the future,” according to The Verge.
Once it rolls out, players will have to scope out the cloud symbol next to the game, which will indicate whether it’s compatible with the cloud-gaming service or not. They’ll be able to play games in up to 1080p and 60fps.
It’ll eventually be available on all Xbox consoles. So you’ll be able to stream Series S/X exclusive games like Microsoft Flight Simulator and The Medium on your Xbox One consoles.