Xbox gamers will be able to stream games from the cloud in September
Microsoft has said its game streaming service xCloud will arrive for Xbox users on 15 September.
The xCloud service will be available to anyone who has purchased Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and will allow them to stream console quality games on their Android phone or tablet.
Over 100 games will be playable directly from the cloud including Xbox mainstays such as the Halo and Gears of War franchises in addition to Minecraft and Destiny 2.
The new service will provide hot competition for Google’s Stadia platform, which is entirely reliant on game streaming over the internet. Upon launch, Stadia was widely criticised for games that felt unresponsive or suffered from lag due to internet latency.
While xCloud may also suffer from the same issues, it is an addition to a service that already exists for Microsoft’s large Xbox userbase.
Users were already able to stream their Xbox games over their local network to compatible devices, although this did require their console to be switched on and running the game locally.
Microsoft said the standard Xbox experience will be replicated across devices including features like the friends list, achievements, controller settings and saved game progress.
As well as the UK, xCloud will launch in 21 other countries including most of Western Europe and the US.
Microsoft said it would also introduce a variety of peripherals, such as phone clips and travel controllers, in order to make gaming on the move more accessible.
Kareem Choudhry, corporate vice president of Project xCloud, said: “As the world around us changes and entertainment is readily available no matter the device, it’s our vision to make games accessible in a variety of scenarios.
“All the experiences you expect on Xbox and your gaming profile travel with you on mobile, including your friends list, achievements, controller settings and saved game progress.
“You can continue your Gears 5 campaign while travelling away from your home console or if a sibling or roommate is using the TV you can still complete strikes with friends in Destiny 2.”
PlayStation also has its own cloud streaming service in the form of PlayStation Now, although that can only be used on the PS4 itself and a PC.
