Project xCloud is a great way to try games without downloading them, but there is a catch; you can only use it on mobile right now. If you prefer gaming on a bigger screen, Microsoft does plan to bring its xCloud service onto PC and Xbox consoles, so you can enjoy cloud gaming no matter what device you use.
Microsoft’s Confirmation of Project xCloud on PC and Xbox
You can see the proof for yourself over on Phil Spencer’s Twitter page. Phil Spencer is the head of Xbox, and he had this to say about bringing Project xCloud to other services:
Yes, we want to do this. It’s in the long list of cool things the xCloud team is working on, just a bit further down the list. But we want console and PC players to be able to browse as easily as mobile players, it’s a good gamepass feature.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) October 7, 2020
This will be welcome news for people who want to take advantage of the xCloud feature in the Game Pass Ultimate but aren’t fond of playing games on a small mobile screen.
Why Is Project xCloud on PC and Xbox Important?
It’s very easy to see the justification of Project xCloud on mobile. Not only would it be impossible for a mobile device to run a current-gen game at a smooth frame-rate, but xCloud also allows mobile owners to play games while they’re out.
So, if a PC or an Xbox can run the game just fine, and they’re not often played outside of the home, what’s the point of bringing xCloud to these devices?
First of all, not every PC can run Xbox games. For some, they can’t download and play a game via the Xbox Game Pass due to the graphical intensity of some games.
However, if their computer is powerful enough to stream video, and the user has a good internet connection to back it up, they can play graphically-intensive games on the lowest of computer specifications. The cloud PC does all the hard work for them.
Right now, there are plenty of cloud gaming services like GeForce Now and Shadow that let you stream AAA games on low-end PCs. As such, when Microsoft releases xCloud for the PC, there will be an existing market ready and waiting for it.
Even if someone could run the Xbox Game Pass’ games on their PC without issue, cloud gaming solves another problem gamers have: storage space. Games tend to take up a lot of space on a hard drive, and a few gigabyte-eating games can leave gamers cramped for space.
By taking the games to the cloud, you need not download anything to your hard drive. Just stream the game as you would watch a YouTube video and keep your hard drive free to store other stuff.
The Future for Project xCloud
If you want to get the most out of the Xbox Game Pass, but your PC or Xbox hard drive is woefully stuffed with data, never fear. Microsoft is planning to bring Project xCloud to your device, so we’ll have to wait and see for future details on how it will work.
Of course, if you do have an Android device, you can get started with xCloud right away. The service recently launched on Android, and there’s plenty of games for you to try already.