Microsoft will launch its cloud gaming service for Xbox consoles later this year.
In a Tuesday announcement, the company said Xbox Cloud Gaming, which lets players stream games instead of installing them, would arrive this holiday season on Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S gaming systems along with Xbox One consoles.
More than 100 games will be available without requiring a download from the company, which made the announcement during its Gamescom showcase. Microsoft Flight Simulator is one such game that is likely to be available via the cloud in the future. In your Game Pass library, you’ll see an icon next to a cloud icon if a title is cloud-compatible. Specifically, Microsoft plans to deliver 1080p gameplay at 60fps.
Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are betting that video games will move beyond consoles in the future, as subscriptions and software become more prominent.
In addition to focusing for a great deal on Xbox hardware, Microsoft has also launched a subscription service called Xbox Game Pass, which offers players access to a library of more than 100 titles for about $15 a month.
Microsoft’s cloud gaming strategy entails hosting games on remote servers and delivering them over the internet to users. By offering a spectrum of devices to gamers, Microsoft hopes to attract them to the Microsoft ecosystem.
Microsoft Cloud Gaming is only available on mobile devices and desktop computers for now. However, Xbox will soon be available on consoles, according to Microsoft. In addition, cloud gaming will also be launched on TVs via manufacturers and its own dedicated streaming dongles through partnerships.
As part of the Gamescom trade fair, Microsoft unveiled the release window for cloud gaming on consoles. Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the event is taking place online only this year instead of in Cologne, Germany.
In addition to its PlayStation Plus subscription service, Sony also focuses on offering subscribers free games and online multiplayer.
Nevertheless, the company tries to lure consumers by touting its exclusive blockbuster games. Playstation platforms are the only place to find hit franchises such as The Last of Us and God of War.
Recent efforts by Microsoft have focused on acquiring exclusive content. In the previous year, the company purchased Bethesda, the iconic publisher of video games like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, for $7.5 billion.
During Covid’s lockdowns in 2020, video games saw a boom year as people turned to home entertainment. According to market researchers IDC, it’s now worth $180 billion. We shall have to wait and see if the momentum continues as various countries ease their pandemic restrictions.
