Microsoft XCloud will ensure that this service is also available worldwide.
Editor’s note: This article is from Netease Technology, author Xiao Xiao.
(Original title: Microsoft to launch xCloud in 2020, with PS4 controllers and PC streaming on the way)
November 15 news, according to foreign media reports, Microsoft’s game department head Phil Spencer (Phil Spencer) recently said that the company plans to launch the game streaming media service XCloud in 2020, and expand it to On a Windows 10 PC.
In addition, Microsoft plans to integrate Project XCloud with the Xbox Game Pass next year, allowing players to watch live games directly from the cloud through the company’s subscription service. However, Microsoft did not disclose the price or exact release date of the service.
Kareem Choudhry, head of Microsoft’s cloud gaming business, was asked how the company would handle keyboard and mouse support when Xbox games were extended to PCs via XCloud. After all, there aren’t many Xbox games that support keyboards and mice, and it’s a huge challenge for developers to get involved. “There are some concerns about the content of Xbox games, but there are more types of content in the future,” said Chadley.
This sounds like Microsoft is planning to watch PC games live through XCloud in the future, but Chadley is only hinting at this possibility. Microsoft has not exactly promised where XCloud will eventually go.
Although Microsoft announced the launch of XCloud in 2020 and will extend to devices other than Android, the iPad and iPhone still do not appear on the support list. However, this situation may change soon. XCloud director Catherine Gluckstein explained: “We already have a prototype application and are starting to run, it performs very well. We hope it will be released on iOS, andLaunched at the appropriate time. We are working with Apple.
In addition to the Xbox One wireless controller, Microsoft XCloud will also accept third-party handle support. Microsoft plans to support Sony’s DualShock 4 controller in XCloud next year, as well as Razer’s Bluetooth controller and gaming pad. For those who are used to the PS4 controller but want to play Halo, Forza or other Xbox games via XCloud, this will be a very popular move.
A key part of the Microsoft XCloud test will be to ensure that this service is also available worldwide. Microsoft will extend its XCloud preview to Canada, India, Japan and Western Europe next year. It is unclear when these countries will gain access, but Microsoft is expanding to India, which is significant.
XCloud may be a huge opportunity for Microsoft in India, especially if the Xbox One console is underperforming in a country where PlayStation sales dominate. Although Microsoft is expanding to other countries during the XCloud preview, there is no guarantee that these markets will start.
Microsoft is clearly starting to talk more about XCloud in the near future, as its main competitor, Google, is preparing to launch the Stadia service next week. Google is actively promoting its release plan, compared to Microsoft’s relatively slow approach.