Microsoft is getting ready to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox consoles later this year, and today the company has started testing the feature with a subset of Xbox Insiders. By bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox consoles, Microsoft will let gamers try Xbox Game Pass games without installing them, and the integration will eventually allow Xbox One owners to play next-gen games as well.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is only rolling out to a subset of Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings today, but Microsoft plans to invite more Insiders over time. To try the feature, eligible Insiders will need to check out the Xbox Game Pass tab on their console and find the games with a cloud icon. The full list of cloud-enabled games is also available from My Games & Apps > Full Library > Xbox Game Pass, using the “Cloud Gaming” filter.
I’m incredibly pleased to share that we’re rolling out cloud gaming on console to a random subset of our Alpha and Alpha Skip Ahead Xbox Insider audiences later today. It’s still got rough edges, so please check out the known issues, file bugs, and enjoy! pic.twitter.com/NRLh7SVkmo
— Eden Marie (@neonepiphany) September 28, 2021
As Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently in beta on Xbox consoles, there are some limitations to be aware of. First of all, it’s currently not possible to stream next-gen games like Microsoft Flight Simulator on an Xbox One console, but the Xbox team is working on it. Moreover, some cloud-enabled games may only be available in English, and in-game purchases are currently not supported.
Just like on other platforms where Xbox Cloud Gaming is available, beta testers will need an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to access the catalog of cloud-enabled games on their console. The beta test is also only available in one of the 22 markets where Xbox Cloud Gaming is already available.
If bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming to Xbox consoles will be an important milestone in Microsoft’s strategy to reach the 3 billion people playing games worldwide, the company won’t stop there: Xbox head Phil Spencer previously said that Microsoft will bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to TVs, and the company will be working with Smart TV manufacturers and also release its own Xbox streaming sticks for older TVs.
