Microsoft has shared a little bit about its vision for the future when it comes to Project xCloud. Streaming games to phones and TVs is all well and good, but the company is looking forward to a future where the tech can transform the way we buy and play games. “There’s an ease of browsing and buying capability on xCloud that I find incredibly valuable today,” head of Xbox Phil Spencer told The Verge. “Many times the first time I play a game will actually be on xCloud, so I can go and use it as my snackable trial experience.” This is the experience Spencer wants to bring the world; the ability to click on a link somewhere and be able to jump in immediately.
“We want that trial to be as easy as it is in music and video today, where I can send you a track in Spotify today and you can stream it instantly,” Spencer said. “Over time, anywhere I see a game I should be able to give it a try.” This sounds almost exactly like what Google envisioned for Stadia, which the company used to sell the promise of the platform at its reveal. In that case, it talked about a future where search links in Google, or YouTube videos could immediately turn into a game the user plays on Stadia. Google has yet to make good on most of its promises with Stadia, of course. Microsoft announced this week that xCloud will soon become part of Game Pass Ultimate, allowing subscribers to play supported games remotely just like they could at home on Xbox or PC.
