Microsoft announced on Tuesday, Aug. 24, that xCloud game streaming will arrive on Xbox consoles — Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S — between November and December 2021, enabling Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to play more than 100 titles directly from the cloud without installing them.
Play next-gen games on previous-generation hardware
The company says the new capability will allow the Xbox One to run titles built for the Xbox Series family. That means players can access certain next-generation games on older hardware by streaming them from Microsoft’s cloud servers.
How it will work on consoles
Xbox consoles will display a small cloud icon in the interface to identify games that can be launched immediately via streaming, avoiding downloads. The streamed experience will support up to 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second; Microsoft noted there is no 4K streaming at launch.
Multiplayer and access details
Integration with xCloud on consoles will also let players join multiplayer matches as soon as a friend sends an invite, rather than waiting for a game to finish installing. While some next-generation exclusives such as Microsoft Flight Simulator and The Medium can be streamed to the Xbox One, Microsoft cautioned it is not committing to specific release dates for when those titles will appear on the platform, saying the games “will come in the future.”
Testing and availability before launch
Before the public rollout at the end of the year, xCloud on Xbox will be available for testing through the Xbox Insider program in early autumn, between September and October. Microsoft said it plans to share details about those trials soon. xCloud is already accessible in beta on PC, phones and tablets.
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