Microsoft Showed Off Project xCloud Recently and I Want In
The latest episode of Inside Xbox had some cool tidbits. One was the announcement of Halo: The Master Chief Collection coming to PC. Another was a brief demo of Microsoft’s Project xCloud. If you don’t know what xCloud is, but have heard of Google’s Project Stream, you know the basics. xCloud is Microsoft’s idea for game streaming that will let you play your Xbox games wherever you are even if all you have is an Xbox controller and your phone. Kareem Choudhry from Microsoft had this to say:
“We’re developing Project xCloud not as a replacement for game consoles, but as a way to provide the same choice and versatility that lovers of music and video enjoy today. We’re adding more ways to play Xbox games. We love what’s possible when a console is connected to a 4K TV with full HDR support and surround sound – that remains a fantastic way to experience console gaming. We also believe in empowering gamers to decide when and how to play.
”While our vision for the technology is complementary to the ways in which we use consoles today, Project xCloud will also open the world of Xbox to those who may not otherwise own traditional, dedicated gaming hardware. True console-quality gaming will become available on mobile devices, providing the 2 billion-plus gamers around the world a new gateway to previously console- and PC-exclusive content. We can achieve this vision with the global distribution of Microsoft’s datacenters in 54 Azure regions and the advanced network technologies developed by the team at Microsoft Research. We’re excited about our ability to deliver a best-in-class global streaming technology.”
That’s right, xCloud is not going to replace your consoles. Also, they’re trying to get testing to begin later this year! That sounds incredible and I would be more than happy to give it a test. There are games I really want to play on Xbox, but I haven’t been able to spend the $250 for a new console. You can read more in the official release. Are you excited for Project xCloud?