Oliver Haslam·

Microsoft’s xCloud Console Streaming Details And Release Date Announced

Microsoft’s E3 event yielded news about its upcoming Project Scarlett console but that wasn’t the only announcement of note. Information on the company’s Project xCloud streaming service was also fleshed out, with those in the audience and watching via stream given their first look at the service.

Microsoft says that it will be offering Project xCloud up as a preview this coming October, a full 12 months after it was announced in the same month of 2018.

The service will allow gamers to take their entire Xbox One library with them, making it playable on multiple different devices. Xbox head Phil Spencer says that Xbox developers were given access to Project xCloud two months ago.

We still don’t know how much Project xCloud will cost when it does go live, but it’s going to compete with offerings like Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce. That is, this isn’t a subscription service ala Sony’s PlayStation Now where gamers pay a fee and get access to games. Instead, users are effectively renting a server in a data center while still having to pay for the games separately.

While Microsoft did announce multiple games and products on-stage, including the Project Scarlett console and a new Elite Controller, Project xCloud received limited time during the event. The lack of pricing will be a concern for potential customers, and we’re left waiting for more details ahead of that October preview before making any real judgement on Project xCloud’s viability alongside the growing competition.

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