Microsoft believes that the future of gaming is in the cloud, and game streaming is an evolving technology that is poised to change the way we play in the generations ahead. Even now, popular AAA games have cloud versions that can be streamed to secondary devices, and Microsoft is ready push its own proprietary game streaming service to the world at large. It will do this through what it’s calling Project xCloud. Check out the announcement video above.
Videos by ComicBook.com
We already expect our media to be available to us on all of the devices that we own. We have our music, movies, shows, and social networks available not only on our home computers, but on our laptops, tablets, phones, and watches as well. Why, then, should our games be tied to one piece of hardware? That’s the question that Microsoft is asking, and it’s a question that Project xCloud aims to render irrelevant in the coming years.
“Ultimately,” today’s update reads, “Project xCloud is about providing gamers — whether they prefer console or PC — new choices in when and where they play, while giving mobile-only players access to worlds, characters and immersive stories they haven’t been able to experience before.”
The video footage shows developers playing exclusive blockbusters like Halo 5, Sea of Thieves and Forza on their smartphones. They note that players will be able to use their Xbox One controller while streaming games, but they also point out that if players don’t have access to an Xbox One controller, they will be able to use touchscreen controls.
But when will this dream become a reality? Soon, if Microsoft is to be believed. According to the announcement video, servers are already set up and being tested, and soon Microsoft plans to prepare for proper scaling. As for developers, they’re already in the loop.
“To realize this vision,” the update continues, “we know we must make it easy for developers to bring their content to Project xCloud. Developers of the more than 3,000 games available on Xbox One today, and those building the thousands that are coming in the future, will be able to deploy and dramatically scale access to their games across all devices on Project xCloud with no additional work.”
Whether you believe in the future of game streaming or stand firmly planted in the belief that gaming and game consoles will always go hand-in-hand, this is something that you will want to keep an eye on. AMD has reportedly been working with the next PlayStation and the next Xbox on the “secret sauce” that will set them apart, and we believe that secret sauce is game streaming tech. You can read more about that here.
