After completing the first trial periods, and although it will still be maintained as a service in Beta, it seems that Microsoft is already prepared to open its cloud gaming service Project xCloud to the general public. Although not before including some changes. And it is that fulfilling its promises, from next September 15 Project xCloud will go to integrate the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate games catalog, at no additional cost.
«When cloud games launch as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, gamers will have access to over 100 high-quality games playable from the cloud, including Minecraft Dungeons, Destiny 2, Tell Me Why, Gears 5, Yakuza Kiwami 2 and more […] our intention is to make those same games available in the cloud from the day of its launch“Explained Kareem Choudhry, vice president of Proyect xCloud.
Although this expansion will not be the only novelty. During the public preview, Microsoft required beta testers to use either an Xbox Wireless Controller with Bluetooth or a PlayStation 4 controller. However, with this update support for other new accessories specifically designed for Project xCloud will be added, such as the already announced Razer, PowerA, 8BitDo or Nacon drivers.
Although some kind of special optimization is also not expected for some of the terminals themselves, with the special mention of «news at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event»To be held this afternoon.
Anyway, it seems that the company is also working to offer us a more casual experience, with the inclusion of touch controls for some of their games like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, which will allow us to maintain the best gaming experience without the need to depend on having a controller. So Microsoft has already confirmed that it plans to add touch controls to more games later, although it is still a small portion of its catalog.
How to access Project xCloud on Android
Thus abandoning the invitation model, now we will only have to access the Google Play Store and download the application Xbox Game Streaming App to start enjoying all the Xbox and PC titles. But best of all, all the progress that we accumulate in these games will be saved in the future not only for the Project xCloud service itself, but for any Microsoft device with an Internet connection, associated with our account.
Project xCloud minimum requirements for Android
- Operating system: Android 6.0 or higher.
- Connection: broadband connection (Wi-Fi or mobile network) with a Ghz band and a minimum download speed of 10 Mbps, and a recommended Wi-Fi connection of 5 Ghz; A Bluetooth 4.0 or higher connection is also required.
- Others: gamepad controller compatible with the Xbox Wireless Controller system (an Xbox One wireless controller with Bluetooth is recommended).
Availability and price
Although for the moment Proyect xCloud continues to be a completely free serviceFor its part, the new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offer will arrive under the same monthly subscription model as the rest of its plans, with a notable discount that will allow us to test the service. for just one euro for the first month, rising after that to 14.99 euros per month.
Both services will be available to the public from next September 15, currently under the limitation of Android devices, and a presence for 22 countries including Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway , Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
On the other hand, despite the strong rumors and leaks of Phil Spencer himself, we still do not know when Microsoft plans to take its next big step, expanding the availability of Project xCloud to iOS devices, and even Windows computers. However, only the general launch on Android will already be a challenge and a major milestone in the creation of a true video game streaming service similar to the models of Spotify or Netflix.
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