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Microsoft xCloud: Everything we know about the streaming service

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Microsoft xCloud is the company’s upcoming game streaming service. Here’s everything we know about it, including which games and platforms will be supported.
Microsoft remains committed to offering Xbox One and PC fans a variety of ways to play their favorite games, whether that be through physical discs, paid digital downloads, free Xbox Games with Gold titles, or the vault from Xbox Game Pass. One upcoming service, Project xCloud, will allow players to enjoy their favorite games instantly, whether they are playing on a console, PC, or even a mobile phone. The service has the potential to completely change how we experience games — and you’ll be able to try it out very soon. Here’s everything we know about Microsoft xCloud. Project xCloud is Microsoft’s video game streaming service, allowing players to instantly stream console and PC games to their device of choice using an internet connection. Similar to the system used by Google Stadia, you won’t download the games you play in Project xCloud. Instead, they’ll be streamed from Microsoft’s own servers, which make use of the Azure Cloud architecture that has been implemented in games like Crackdown 3 and Titanfall. There are 54 different Azure regions around the globe, which should provide stable service to users regardless of their location. Project xCloud is not designed to replace traditional disc-based and digital gaming. Instead, Microsoft hopes for it to open up console-quality gaming to those who currently lack the necessary hardware to do so or can only play on mobile devices. It also means players will be able to enjoy a particular Xbox or PC game they’re interested in without having to purchase an entire system. It isn’t clear yet what the quality limit will be on Project xCloud. In a blog post in March 2019, Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Gaming Cloud Kareem Choudhry said that the company still values the console experience, as it allows for 4K gaming with HDR. This could mean Project xCloud will not hit these numbers, which would make its quality less impressive than Google Stadia. Project xCloud will use Microsoft’s Azure datacenters’ hardware to render gaming experiences remotely, and the games will then be streamed to your device of choice. The only requirement is that you have a strong network connection so you will be able to play games at home, as well as while you are traveling. Each server blade has the internals of four Xbox One S systems, if the demonstration video Microsoft released is accurate. The same cloud saving system currently used to make Xbox Play Anywhere — the cross-buy program for Xbox One and PC — possible will also be used in Project xCloud. This means that if you are playing a game at home and need to leave, you will be able to pick up directly where you left off.

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