Xbox Cloud Gaming expands access to game streaming

Microsoft has started the expansion of Xbox Cloud Gaming, allowing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to stream 50 titles already in their library. Games included include Balatro, Baldur’s Gate 3, several titles from the Final Fantasy series and Hogwarts Legacy. The initiative represents only the initial phase of a larger project, called “Project Lapland”, which aims to make the entire Xbox library available for streaming. Ashley McKissick, corporate vice president of Xbox Experiences and platforms engineering, said that the company is working to progressively expand the catalog of games accessible via the cloud, in collaboration with partners globally.

Currently, the 50 games can be streamed on TV, smartphone, tablet and PC via web browser. Microsoft also plans to extend the service to Xbox consoles and the Xbox app on Windows over the next year. The idea of ​​integrating the personal library into Xbox Cloud Gaming was initially presented with Project xCloud, with a launch scheduled for 2020. Subsequently, Microsoft announced the implementation of the feature in 2022, but the project encountered several technical difficulties. The complexity lies in the need to adapt thousands of games to Microsoft’s cloud servers, while ensuring the management of saves, updates and other crucial aspects.

While the long-term goal is to make the entire library available, it is conceivable that some titles will not be included due to licensing agreements or restrictions imposed by publishers. Another development involves the ability to purchase games via the Xbox app for Android in the United States. This feature, initially scheduled for November, has been temporarily suspended following a legal dispute between Microsoft and Google regarding in-app payment systems. At the moment, it is unclear when Microsoft will be able to implement this feature.