Microsoft has pulled back the curtain on its work-in-progress game streaming technology, Project xCloud.<\/p>\n
The ‘state-of-the-art’\u00a0tech\u00a0will\u00a0let users stream games\u00a0on whatever device they choose, with Microsoft explaining the future of video games is one where players aren’t locked to specific hardware.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Ultimately, Project xCloud is about providing gamers —\u00a0whether they prefer console or PC —\u00a0new\u00a0choices in when and where they play, while giving mobile-only players access to worlds, characters and\u00a0 immersive stories they haven\u2019t been able to experience before,” reads a post on the Microsoft blog.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The company wants to make it easy for developers to bring their content over to Project xCloud, letting creators deploy and scale access to their titles across multiple devices without the need for any additional work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To that end, the console maker has already enabled compatibility with existing and future Xbox games by building out custom hardware for its Azure datacenters and creating a tailor-made\u00a0blade that can host the component parts of multiple Xbox One consoles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While a lot of work has already gone into the project, the technology is still in its infancy, and Microsoft is predicting a “multi-year journey” before it’s ready for consumers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first step along that path will be a public trial in 2019, which will complement the internal tests Microsoft is conducting on mobile devices (phones and tablets) right now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When it’s finally ready, Microsoft claims Project xCloud will have the capability to make game streaming possible on 4G networks, while also\u00a0dynamically scaling\u00a0to push against the outer limits of what\u2019s possible on 5G networks.<\/p>\n
“The future of gaming is a world where you are empowered to play the games you want, with the people you want, whenever you want, wherever you are, and on any device of your choosing,” continues the blog.\u00a0“Our vision for the evolution of gaming is similar to music and movies —\u00a0entertainment should be available on demand and accessible from any screen.”<\/p>\n