As we’re just a couple of days away from Microsoft’s Xbox and Bethesda games showcase on June 13, the software giant revealed this morning that it’s significantly increasing its investment in its Xbox Cloud Gaming technology. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Xbox head Phil Spencer shared their vision for the future of Xbox and gaming at Microsoft in a discussion published on Xbox Wire this morning, and the two execs made it clear that Microsoft is all-in on gaming.
After launching a private beta of Xbox Cloud Gaming on PCs and iOS devices via the web, the Microsoft execs confirmed today that Xbox Cloud Gaming is also coming to TVs. This will happen with partnerships with Smart TV manufacturers, as well as dedicated streaming devices that will be manufactured by Microsoft.
We’ve also learned this morning that Microsoft is now in the final stages of replacing the aging Xbox One S consoles in its Xbox Cloud Gaming servers with the company’s brand new Xbox Series X consoles. “This means gamers will see faster load times, improved frame rates, and experience Xbox Series X|S optimized games,” the company emphasized.
Xbox Cloud Gaming through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will also officially launch in more markets later this year including Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan later this year. Cloud gaming on the browser will also graduate from beta “in the next few weeks,” and Microsoft is also planning Xbox Cloud Gaming right into the Windows 10 Xbox app later this year.
Last but not least, Microsoft will also be bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming to Xbox consoles, which will allow Xbox gamers to easily try games in the catalog before downloading them. This is a pretty obvious thing to do, especially Sony’s PlayStation Now cloud gaming service has allowed PS4 owners to either stream or download cloud-enabled games for years.
If this is still early for cloud gaming services, Microsoft also confirmed today that it has already started to work on a new generation of Xbox consoles, which will remain the “flagship” experience for gamers. “We’re already hard at work on new hardware and platforms, some of which won’t come to light for years,” Xbox’s head of platforms Liz Hamren said in a press briefing (via Axios).
