We’ve seen Xbox Cloud Gaming – a perk given to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers – spread to new platforms in recent months. After getting its start on Android devices, Xbox Cloud Streaming launched to Windows 10 and iOS thanks to browser-based web apps. Now, Microsoft has revealed when Xbox Cloud Streaming will be making its way to Xbox consoles.
During its Gamescom 2021 showcase today, Microsoft announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming is landing on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at some point during holiday 2021. Of course, you’ll need to be subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to stream games to your console, so this could potentially drive new and upgraded subscriptions from console-only players who were previously covered by the standard Xbox Game Pass membership.
Once Xbox Cloud Gaming is live on consoles, streaming those games seems like it’ll be a pretty straightforward process. All you’ll need to do is open up the Xbox Game Pass app on your console of choice and look for games that have a cloud icon in the bottom right corner of their artwork. Next, select the game, then hit the “Play” button, and the game will begin streaming.
Microsoft even says that at some point in the future (which presumably means “not at launch”), those playing on Xbox One will be able to stream Xbox Series X|S-only games to their console. While that probably won’t give you the complete next-gen experience (in part because Xbox Cloud Gaming will stream at 1080p60), it’s a nice option to have if you’re looking to hold off on buying an Xbox Series X but don’t want to miss out on Microsoft’s first-party games.
Microsoft revealed today that it will begin testing Xbox Cloud Streaming on console this fall for Xbox Insiders. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for both the announcement that Xbox Cloud Streaming has entered testing and for word on the final launch date, so stay tuned.
Keyword: Xbox Cloud Streaming heads to Xbox One, Xbox Series X this year