PC gamers have a reason to rejoice in light of Microsoft’s recent announcement that it plans to expand the offerings for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
The tech giant stated that it was slated to add several new games to the platform later this year and would also give those subscribed to Xbox Game Pass the ability to stream from their personal game libraries.
In opening the service and expanding its current capabilities to several thousand new games, Microsoft hopes that more gamers will shift from static desktop gaming to a cloud-based experience that is bound to expand their horizons. However, company executives have also asked players to adjust their expectations as not all Xbox games currently in circulation may be offered through the platform.
It is, however, safe to say that most games currently owned by Xbox players may already be available online.
As of press time, over ten million people have already streamed games via the beta edition of Xbox Cloud Gaming which is currently part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The popular title Fortnite is also the platform’s first free-to-play game and may be streamed by players via iOS and Android devices, as well as PC through their web browser of choice.
A Long Time Coming
Originally, Xbox Cloud Gaming was promised to gamers as far back as the beginning of the decade, with access opened to players by 2020. However, numerous factors, including the recent Covid-19 pandemic, pushed the initiative to the back burner.
Today, the initiative is part of a larger project called Xbox Everywhere. Launched in 2020, Xbox Everywhere is the result of Microsoft’s extensive investment in cloud-based gaming. According to official literature, it seeks to make online gaming more accessible to people with the goal of reaching three billion players worldwide.
It is a platform where players can play on their own terms and also a place where digital creators can reach even wider audiences while developing and managing their games with a wide range of the best tools and services in the cloud. Xbox Everywhere was developed in partnership with the cloud services provider Azure.
Xbox Cloud Gaming officially debuted in Argentina and New Zealand last June 9. It is expected as an offering with the Xbox TV app bundled in with the latest range of Samsung smart TVs slated for roll-out towards the end of the month.