xCloud

xCloud (formally announced as Project xCloud) is the working title of Microsoft's Xbox cloud gaming service.[1] Released in beta testing in November 2019, it expected to launch September 15, 2020.

xCloud
DeveloperMicrosoft
Preview version1.0 / November 14, 2019 (2019-11-14)
Platform(s)Android, Windows 10
StatusPublic Preview
WebsiteOfficial Site

Development

Microsoft teased the service at E3 2018 and formally announced Project xCloud several months later, in October 2018.[2] They demonstrated the service in March 2019 with the racing game Forza Horizon 4 playing on an Android smartphone with an Xbox One controller.[3] Xbox head Phil Spencer used a private server during this time to test games on a remote connection.[4] The service entered its home testing phase in May 2019, when it could be used outside the lab environment. It is slated for public testing later in the year and an unveiling at E3 2019.[1]

xCloud runs via Microsoft's 54 Azure cloud computing centers, hosted in 140 countries. The service is designed to work with phones, either with touchscreen controls or Xbox controller over Bluetooth.[2] Microsoft said that its Xbox content library will make its service more appealing than competitors such as Stadia.[1] The hardware at launch was based Xbox One S blade servers, but it is expected to transition to Xbox Series X servers by 2021; the Xbox Series X's backward compatibility will allow xCloud to retain the existing library of Xbox games while adding new games from the Xbox Series X.[5]

Trials of the service began in October 2019, and as of November 2019, the service hosts 50 games, with support in testing for Apple Inc.'s iOS mobile devices, and for Sony Interactive Entertainment's DualShock controllers.[6]

On February 12, 2020, Project xCloud launched on Apple’s mobile operating system in a preview version.[7]

On May 5, 2020, Project xCloud comes to Spain (Europe) in preview (Video on live). [8]

Microsoft announced that xCloud will be released across North America, Europe and South Korea in September 15, 2020 for select Android devices, with more devices including iOS to come later.[9] Additionally, the xCloud service will be added free to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription at the same time.[10] However, in early August 2020, Microsoft announced it was halting iOS testing, asserting that policies on the Apple App Store limited what functionality they could provide for the service.[11] Apple clarified that cloud streaming services like xCloud allow Microsoft to release games onto the iOS platform that bypass the normal checks that Apple performs for other apps, and thus refused to allow the app on the platform.[12]

gollark: I had to break into his secure end facility to get the description of that...
gollark: The `setfenv` one.
gollark: He claimed to have two.
gollark: One of them, yes, why?
gollark: Also small.

References
  1. Makuch, Eddie (May 1, 2019). "New Xbox Streaming Service Reaches Major Milestone". GameSpot. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  2. Bankhurst, Adam (October 8, 2018). "Microsoft Announces Global Game Streaming Service, Project xCloud, Beta Next Year". IGN. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  3. Higham, Michael (March 13, 2019). "Xbox Shows Project xCloud In Action, Playing Forza Horizon 4 On A Phone". GameSpot. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  4. Bankhurst, Adam (April 16, 2019). "Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Plays Destiny, Crackdown with Microsoft's xCloud". IGN. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  5. Saed, Sherif (June 18, 2020). "Xbox Series X hardware will power xCloud servers next year – report". VG247. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  6. "Microsoft's xCloud Now Supports 50 Games, Coming to PC In 2020". Thurrott. November 14, 2019.
  7. "Project xCloud finally comes to iOS, but with some serious limitations". VentureBeat. February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  8. "Project xCloud finally comes to Spain and works fine over 4G mobile network". ELSATE.com (in Spanish). May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  9. Warren, Tom (August 4, 2020). "Microsoft's xCloud game streaming will launch on September 15th on Android". The Verge. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  10. Ivan, Tom (July 16, 2020). "xCloud launching in September and included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  11. Warren, Tom (August 5, 2020). "Microsoft cuts xCloud iOS testing early as its future on Apple devices remains unclear". The Verge. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  12. Gilbert, Ben (August 6, 2020). "When Microsoft's ambitious 'Netflix of gaming' service launches in September, it won't arrive on Apple devices – here's why". Business Insider. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
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