Xbox chief hints at TV streaming sticks for xCloud

Microsoft’s head of gaming and Xbox, Phil Spencer, has hinted that the corporate is planning TV streaming sticks for its xCloud cloud gaming service. In an interview with Stratechery, Spencer discusses the potential for extra tiers of Xbox Game Pass, which might embrace a free bundled TV stick with play xCloud video games.

“I think you’re going to see lower priced hardware as part of our ecosystem when you think about streaming sticks and other things that somebody might want to just go plug into their TV and go play via xCloud,” says Spencer. “You could imagine us even having something that we just included in the Game Pass subscription that gave you an ability to stream xCloud games to your television and buying the controller.”

Spencer additionally teases the potential for an “Xbox Game Pass Platinum” with assured entry to new Xbox {hardware}. Microsoft has been bundling Xbox subscriptions and {hardware} collectively in one thing referred to as Xbox All Access, which incorporates entry to Xbox Game Pass and the newest Xbox Series X and Series X consoles. It’s a bundle that Spencer is clearly eager to experiment with sooner or later.



Microsoft’s xCloud service.
Photo by Nick Statt / The Verge

The thought of an Xbox recreation streaming TV stick isn’t a brand new one for Microsoft. The software program big was getting ready light-weight Xbox streaming gadgets again in 2016, nevertheless it canceled the {hardware}. Microsoft has been investigating streaming sticks and {hardware} ever because the firm initially demonstrated Halo 4 streaming from the cloud to Windows and Windows Phones all the way in which again in 2013.

Spencer’s first public point out of Xbox streaming TV sticks implies the {hardware} might be prepared quickly, although. Microsoft has to this point solely bundled xCloud recreation streaming with its highest Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier ($14.99 per thirty days). There’s actually room for extra tiers, and simpler entry to the service past simply Android gadgets.

Microsoft partnered with Samsung earlier this yr for xCloud, and it’s solely a matter of time earlier than we see the corporate’s recreation streaming service seem on Samsung TVs. 2021 might be an attention-grabbing yr for xCloud, particularly as Microsoft is planning to improve its server blades to the extra succesful Xbox Series X {hardware}. We must also begin to see xCloud seem on Facebook Gaming subsequent yr.

Microsoft can also be engaged on a web-based iOS resolution for xCloud that may debut in early 2021. Spencer confirms our latest report on this iOS workaround within the Stratechery interview, however warns that not being within the App Store remains to be a problem for xCloud. “We have a good solution on iOS that I think it’ll be coming kind of early next year, I feel good about the solution that we have,” says Spencer.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *