Microsoft has announced that Project xCloud, the company’s cloud gaming initiative will become a part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription in September for supported countries at no additional cost. This means that players can access and play over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles on a phone or tablet. This is all part of Microsoft’s commitment to put players at the heart of every decision they make. “At Xbox, we listen to what you – players, game developers, and content creators – tell us want from the future of gaming,” Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, said. “Based on your feedback, we’re building a future where you and your friends can play the deepest, most immersive, and interactive games ever created across your Xbox console, PC, and mobile devices.”
Project xCloud was revealed in 2018 that allows Xbox games to be played on any device by streaming it to the device similar to Google Stadia. In 2019, Microsoft announced that the service will be available first as a beta before eventually being released for everyone. Now, it is revealed that the service will officially launch in September.
In addition to Project xCloud becoming a part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Microsoft has shared a number of other things that the company is doing to puts players first. One, Microsoft wants everybody in the community to feel safe and welcoming so the safety team is there for anyone who wants to report any problems of hate and harassment that they may be experiencing on Xbox. Microsoft also wants to empower creators of diverse backgrounds to develop new stories, advocating for authentic and respectful representation in games, and championing accessibility so everybody can play.
The second reason is that games will look and play the best on Xbox. With all of the new features for Xbox Series X including the Xbox Velocity Architecture, nearly every aspect of playing games will be improved. The third reason is Xbox Game Pass and the fact that every new Xbox Game Studios title will be available on Game Pass the same day the game releases worldwide. Fourth, nobody needs to force themselves into the next generation. With Microsoft’s commitment to backwards compatibility and Smart Delivery, new games over the next couple of years such as Halo Infinite will be available to play on Xbox Series X and Xbox One.
As Xbox gets closer to the launch of the next-generation with Xbox Series X, they revealed that they are ceasing production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S Digital Edition. The next big digital event, the Xbox Games Studios Showcase is also set to take place next week where we’ll see the first look at Halo Infinite and more first-party titles.
While everyone was excited for the first big Xbox digital event where the first gameplay was shown for games running on Xbox Series X, a lot of people were let down because they thought it would be more. Aaron Greenberg, GM, Xbox Games Marketing took to Twitter to set expectations for the Xbox Games Showcase happening on Thursday, July 23.