Microsoft's Xbox just unveiled its plans to release its own streaming stick as well as a smart TV app for cloud gaming.
Confirming what many have been anticipating for years, Ars Technica reports that Microsoft intends to radically expand the accessibility of the Xbox experience through new hardware and software, most notably its Project xCloud game streaming service (now called Xbox Cloud Gaming).
Officially launched last year and available to subscribers of Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Cloud Gaming represents a great leap forward in video game streaming. With the forthcoming smart TV app, gamers will be able to access over 200 cloud-hosted games with only an internet connection and any Xbox-compatible gamepad. For those TVs that do not support the new app, Microsoft will be providing the streaming stick as a workaround until more streamlined solutions are developed.
Not confined to TV screens, however, Xbox Cloud Gaming will be accessible through various web browsers. Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Apple's Safari will be supported "in the next few weeks," according to Executive VP of Gaming at Microsoft Phil Spencer. "Right now, we're the only platform shipping games on console, PC and cloud simultaneously," boasted Spencer, who is head of the Xbox brand. The reach of Xbox Cloud Gaming shall extend to mobile browsers as well, allowing gamers to play Xbox on their smart phones and tablets.
"We simply put more top-quality games in front of more people than other companies," Spencer continued, "As the Xbox ecosystem grows in both content and total size, it becomes more available to both players and our partners." The Game Pass subscription model has been working very well for Microsoft, Spencer suggested, allowing total access to its full selection of games for a flat monthly fee. This model contrasts with other game streaming services such as Google Stadia, which follows more of an "à la carte" model.
Spencer furthered his remarks by stating that Xbox Game Pass's cloud gaming regions are going to expand, with the service about to be introduced "later this year" in Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan. To increase the reach of xCloud even more, less expensive monthly subscription fees may be offered to some regions. "Almost any new device category that is connected to the cloud" will soon gain access to the Game Pass library, according to Spencer.
Having just acquired several new development studios to augment its stable of games, Microsoft is also rethinking the pace at which it will issue new releases. "We want to get to a point of releasing a new game every quarter," revealed Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios. De-emphasizing the significance of physical game console sales, Xbox CFO Tim Stuart added, "the growing importance of content and services revenue makes our business more consistent on an ongoing basis." He concluded, "as we move towards a device-agnostic, global gaming experience, we can start to look at long-term engagement as the real North Star of our business, as opposed to driving one-time events."
Spencer, Booty and Stuart made the comments during an hour-long press briefing, touting their company's recent successes and hinting at things to come. While the dates have not yet been confirmed for the release of the app or streaming stick, the timing of this announcement is undoubtedly tied to the schedule of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The 26th of its kind, E3 2021 will be completely virtual, free and open to all, broadcasting live from Los Angeles June 12-15.
Source: Ars Technica