Microsoft’s streaming technology, xCloud, launching in September

By Krystal K. Lindahl 4 years ago

Microsoft’s Project xCloud, the cloud game streaming technology that was announced in 2018, will be available on Android devices on Sept. 15, Microsoft announced Tuesday. As previously announced, cloud-based gaming is part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a subscription that ties together Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass for console and PC. It’ll remain $14.99 for the service, even with the added cloud gaming access.

This will give Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members access to “more than 100 games from the cloud” — if they use Android devices. xCloud rollout will start with a beta period as it “scale[s] to millions of players around the world,” according to the company. Microsoft’s cloud gaming technology is not yet available for iOS devices, but the company appears to be working on it. In February, Microsoft held an iOS preview to test the platform on iPhones and iPads. And the company has said it plans to bring xCloud to Windows 10 with a dedicated app sometime this year.

Microsoft said it hopes to extend its “day-one access to new titles from Xbox Game Studios as part of Xbox Game Pass” to the xCloud service, too. A full catalog of games isn’t yet available, but Microsoft has shared a partial list, which includes Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Destiny 2, and Minecraft Dungeons. Here’s the partial list:

  • Ark: Survival Evolved
  • Bleeding Edge
  • Costume Quest 2
  • Crackdown 3 (campaign)
  • Destiny 2
  • F1 2019
  • Forza Horizon 4
  • Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
  • Gears of War 4
  • Gears 5 Ultimate Edition
  • Grounded
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • Halo Wars: Definitive Edition
  • Halo Wars 2
  • Halo: The Master Chief Collection
  • Halo: Spartan Assault
  • Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
  • Killer Instinct Definitive Edition
  • Max: The Curse of Brotherhood
  • Minecraft Dungeons
  • The Outer Worlds
  • Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
  • Ori and the Will of the Wisps
  • Quantum Break
  • ReCore: Definitive Edition
  • Ryse: Son of Rome
  • Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition
  • State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
  • Sunset Overdrive
  • Super Lucky’s Tale
  • Tell Me Why
  • The Bard’s Tale Trilogy
  • Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut
  • Wasteland 3
  • Wasteland Remastered
  • Yakuza Kiwami 2

More games will be added over time, Microsoft said.

The service will be available in 22 countries at launch: Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The free preview period, which has been running since last year, will end on Sept. 11.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is available to new members for $1 a month for the first month, and then for $14.99 per month thereafter. Along with xCloud streaming, it includes Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes games for both console and PC.

Update: This post has been edited to add more clarity on the relationship between the xCloud technology and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service.

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