Microsoft has announced that it will release xCloud sometime during 2020. This is its new streaming service for video gamers to instantly stream down to any device. This will include console games as well as PC versions.
Through an internet connection, the games will stream directly from the Microsoft servers, thus avoiding the need to download. This is similar to Google Stadia but will use Azure Cloud architecture. With 54 different Azure regions around the world, it is expected that the users will find stable service almost anywhere. In fact, Microsoft is reportedly closing Mixer and transferring the xCloud streaming service to Facebook Gaming.
Microsoft has previously provided Xbox One and PC games through discs, digital downloads and vault versions through Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft plans to leave these options in place. The new xCloud is designed for those who don’t want to invest in the hardware just to enjoy a game they might want to try.
The plan is to use the same cloud-saving system currently in place for Xbox Play Anywhere. This would mean that you could resume play almost anywhere. This will require a strong network connection.
Options will include multiple controllers which means that an Xbox One controller through Bluetooth (already in place for all new Xboxes) and touch should be possible. The outline says that the games will be equipped with setups to accommodate the players’ moves.
The storehouse of games will include the entire spectrum of Xbox One plus any released on PC. It should be a seamless transition for the games to perform as written using xCloud. This will mean an almost limitless number of choices. At this point it is not planned to offer any games exclusively through xCloud. So all of the same games will be available through a mobile device, PC, or console.
Beta testing has begun in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and South Korea. The criteria for this version is Android 6.0 or newer and Bluetooth 4.0 or newer. For the Xbox consoles, it needs either 5GHz Wi-Fi or a mobile data plan with 10Mbps minimum download speed. It is being tested on about 50 games. Test users will be leaving comments on Reddit.
There has been no indication of what Microsoft will charge for xCloud. Guesses are between $15 and $20 per month, but there is no solid information to support that amount. Also unknown is whether there will be any offer of discounts or credits for the purchase of console games you expect to run on xCloud.
The final release date is still up in the air, but it is still anticipated to be in 2020. Next on the agenda is PS4 controller support and Windows 10 streaming. There is an anticipated xCloud integration with Xbox Game Pass that is designed to let users stream games from the subscription service directly from the cloud.
There was a demonstration held on Inside Xbox where Forza Horizon 4 was streamed onto an Android phone. To the observers it seemed on a par with the console version with no slow down or other impediments. Since nothing has been definitively released, the final edition will still need to be evaluated by the users who will pay the money to try the experience.
What is clear is a pattern of continuing advances in the intersection of gaming and mobile devices. Microsoft, Google, and other companies are looking to the future of streaming and uninterrupted play in order to advance in the field.
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