Microsoft has announced Project xCloud. xCloud promises streaming of Xbox One games on smartphones and tablets, wherever you are, whatever you own, whatever game you want. Microsoft is promising state-of-the-art streaming technology, allowing us to play whatever game we like without being tied to an Xbox or PC.
Announced in an official blog post, Project xCloud is a “multi-year journey” for Microsoft. It doesn’t sound as though you’ll need a PC or Xbox One copy of a game to stream it on the go via your mobile or tablet, either. Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t confirmed any details regarding pricing, or whether or not you’ll need to own the games on console or PC to stream them to your device of choice.
xCloud represents Microsoft building for the future, but the company is testing the service today. You’ll be able to play games with Xbox One controllers or just using the touchscreen via a newly developed “game-specific touch input overlay that provides maximum response in a minimal footprint for players who choose to play without a controller.”
To go alongside the announcement blog post, Microsoft released a trailer to help explain its vision. You can watch the Project xCloud trailer below:
Microsoft is aiming to make development easier for its ambitious streaming service so that developers “will be able to deploy and dramatically scale access to their games across all devices on Project xCloud with no additional work.” Public trials for the service will begin in 2019, rolling out in what Microsoft dubs 54 “Azure” regions. You can see the “Azure” regions below. Microsoft’s aim is to allow players in these 54 regions to stream Xbox games onto their devices via 4G and the upcoming 5G with a small imprint on your monthly data allowances.
Microsoft explains that “currently, the test experience is running at 10 megabits per second.” Its goal “is to deliver high-quality experiences at the lowest possible bitrate that work across the widest possible networks, taking into consideration the uniqueness of every device and network.”
We’ll keep you up to date on all things Project xCloud right here on GameRevolution.
Images credit: Microsoft
