360°

Project xCloud has turned my phone into a portable Xbox, changing the way I play games

With Project xCloud, I've played more Xbox games on my phone than my console this year

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darthv721928d ago

it does make for a rather fun and convenient experience.

1928d ago
SierraGuy1928d ago

Ahhh please play your Xbox at home...this is niche.

If you need to play that much on the go...maybe look for group help seminars for your addiction.

aconnellan1928d ago

I ride a total of 3 hours on the bus to and from work every day. Do I need a group help seminar because I would like to spend some of that time playing an Xbox game on my phone?

King_Noctis1928d ago

Let say you are on a long car, bus, plane, Or ship ride and you’re bored, what are you gonna do? Listen to music? Do you tell the people who listen to music outside their home to go to seminars asking for help?

Outlawzz1928d ago

@sierraguy Lol so if take my switch outside the house I have an addiction ? Wow I've been needing help since I was a child with my gameboy days. You've shown me the light

Zeref1927d ago

you're literally telling gamers not to play games...

Kavorklestein1927d ago (Edited 1927d ago )

Sir Douchington of Prickingshire!
So glad to see you here, outside the walls of your Noble kingdom, to mingle with us dreary commoners.

KillBill1927d ago

You obviously never had to really commute. Nor had to wait for long periods at a government office or elsewhere.

Hungryalpaca1927d ago

Ah yes. The classic line from someone who doesn’t leave the house or have any real world responsibilities.

Why take the plane/train/taxi to work when you should be at home on the Xbox?

Going on vacation with long travel time? Stay at home on your Xbox!

Stuck waiting in traffic and the driver looks like he’s gonna kill someone? Stay at hole on your Xbox!

At school/college but have A couple hours between classes or work starts? GO HOME ON DAT XBAX

cammers19951923d ago

Who are you to tell people what to do? Eat poo

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 1923d ago
sprinterboy1927d ago

It's great for playing games on the move like rocket league, a golf game or fortnite as examples but I'd never play a sp AAA exclusive on a phone or tablet, especially if I hadn't completed it yet, that's for the home experience.

Atanasrikard1927d ago

Thanks for telling everyone how they should play games. While you are at it, Mr. Bloomberg, mind telling us what we can drink and eat and think?

iplay1up21927d ago

Really? If you have a sniper shooting at you from a distance, how do you see them?

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1923d ago
ifrit_caress1928d ago

Turning your smartphone into an Xbox portable device is a nifty concept but I prefer a dedicated handheld gaming device.

1928d ago Replies(3)
timotim1928d ago

All console gamers share your sentiment...the issue with that is we aren't always by our consoles. xCloud allows you to continue to enjoy your games regardless where you are.

343_Guilty_Spark1928d ago ShowReplies(3)
fathertime44641928d ago

It's not a replacement its there to compliment the console and keep you playing when your not at home all without having been forced to purchase yet another device

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1927d ago
PS4Gamer19841928d ago

I hate cloud gaming! Noone is talking about the fact that being able to play legit AAA games takes away the speicalness out of gaming and makes it just another cheap mobile game. Games like Halo and Gears are meant to be played on big, 4k HDR TVs in glory, not on phones

ElementX1928d ago (Edited 1928d ago )

How does a AAA console game played on smaller screen turn it into a mobile game?

Most people don't have 4k and most PC gamers don't use TVs, either. Are they playing incorrectly?

rainslacker1927d ago (Edited 1927d ago )

While it doesn't make it into a mobile game, go play some of these big AAA games on a smaller screen, and you will see that he's not wrong they are meant to be played on bigger screens. Sometimes it's fine, but often times, UI elements, or size of things is meant for screens much bigger than 5-7 inches. There are games I've played on remote play on the Vita which are close to unplayable because it's really hard to see the screen the way it's designed to be seen. There is a difference between a 19-22" screen and a 5-7" screen.

It does kind of depend on the game though.

kryteris1928d ago

4k is over hype unless you sit 3 feet away like me, 😂

Hungryalpaca1927d ago

You should probably see an optometrist.

I’m guessing there’s no difference between 720p and 1440p either huh?

timotim1928d ago (Edited 1928d ago )

What if the phone has a 4K HDR screen on it???🤨 Got'em! 😄 just messing with you...

NeoGamer2321928d ago

It is a gaming option, it isn't the only way to play. You can dislike it all you want but there are many people that see this as a viable option for when you are not at home or travelling.

Atanasrikard1927d ago

No options! No choice! My way or the highway! /s

KillBill1927d ago

Pretty sure both Halo and Gears series came out before 4K was really a big deal. (2001 and 2006) Consoles didn't even really deal with 4K until PS4 and Xbox One.

GamesAsAService1927d ago

By your logic playing games on a computer is maybe 50% as special as playing it on a big screen tv.

What a stupid take.

Here is the bottom line. Getting AAA quality games playable on a variety of form factors is the best way forward. Instead of fearing the steady march of shitty mobile games onto consoles, it would appear the opposite is happening. The mobile gaming world is being exposed to console quality games that are not complete shit. This is essentially influencing the vast ocean of mobile gamers to want quality. If expectations rise, the general gaming public will drive demand for quality games.

The is important. This is good.

spicelicka1927d ago (Edited 1927d ago )

Are they forcing you at gunpoint to play on mobile by giving you that option??

Honestly please tell us the reasoning behind your outrage. The whole point of this is to be able to play in places where you DON'T have a 4K TV and you want to play your Xbox. I'm probably not going to use Xcloud but it's great that the option is there. Please think carefully again about how this impacts your life in any possible way.

Hungryalpaca1927d ago

Someone ain’t too bright. Might want to change your bulb.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 1927d ago
timotim1928d ago (Edited 1928d ago )

Xbox Everywhere™

I know some people talk about exclusives...now even console generation launch exclusives haha 🤷🏾‍♂️ but these people need to understand that Microsoft just has a different strategy now and their moving at there own pace. Ill be getting a Surface Duo by the end of the year and xCloud will be apart of that story...along with my Surface Go, Surface Studio and Series X all sharing the same library.

ApocalypseShadow1928d ago (Edited 1928d ago )

Besides Xcloud being just another name for Remote Play. What do you think Microsoft is offering besides 3rd party games? What would have been the point of buying studios?

Oh..I don't know. Exclusives maybe to differentiate themselves from Nintendo and Sony? Even Apple and Stadia games?

I know you and others want to continue to downplay them, because of a lack of them. But exclusives still matter. Even for Xcloud streaming.

timotim1928d ago

There's certainly a form of remote play weaved into the xCloud story that acts just like Remote Play on PS4, but then Remote Play in its traditional sense is relaying what is happening on your box at home. So as an example, if you were playing say GTS on your phone using Remote Play, you would be logging into your console and your console would be the thing playing powering your game...No one at your actual house could use that console to do anything else on it because its already in use. Thats not the case with xCloud that I'm speaking of here. With xCloud, someone could be using that box while you're somewhere else accessing your library. There's a difference in the end user experience between the two.

And you misunderstand me. Microsoft will have exclusives, however they will be ecosystem exclusives...exclusives that can only be played within Microsoft's garden...not exclusives that are tied to any one specific box. Maybe I just didn't articulate myself as clear as I could have. I think exclusives matter too...if I were a platform holder and my concern was selling one type of platform...then I would make it my business to have as many exclusives for that one platform as possible. What Im saying here is that Microsoft believes that too...however, they have multiple platforms they are concerned with, so they attempt to have exclusives amongst those many platforms. In fact...for Microsoft...the hardware platforms is not even whats most important...the way they see it is that EVERY platform that they put their exclusives on, gets added to that garden. When I mentioned the multiple devices in my original post that will all share the same library, its because Microsoft views it as not a platform for gamers to game on...but rather an ecosystem, a family of devices to game within.

King_Noctis1928d ago (Edited 1928d ago )

“ Besides Xcloud being just another name for Remote Play.”

Wrong. Have you ever done a little bit of research for every of your comment? Remote Play is hosted on your PS3/PS4 console, xCloud is hosted on MS’s server which mean you don’t need a console, you only need a phone to play. Do you see the difference between both yet?

ApocalypseShadow1927d ago (Edited 1927d ago )

Actually noctis, remote play applies to Sony as it does to Microsoft. You are ***remotely playing games*** that are stored somewhere else.

I'm still correct. You fell into the trap thinking I was just talking about Sony.

Stadia is also remotely playing games that are stored stored somewhere else. Trying to change the definition?

Tim, Microsoft can call it an ecosystem. But games on PC aren't going to sell Xbox consoles. Games on console sell console's. And exclusives help sell them. Or there's no point in making a console.

But I'm well aware that Microsoft has been leaning towards digital and ditching hardware for some time. Their next one is only to hold on to the core gamers they have left after this generation's bungling. When the internet catches up, they will be the first to kill hardware in favor of streaming. Guaranteed.

GamesAsAService1927d ago

Ok so we all know that there will be no exclusives in the launch year of series X. We get it. No one is downplaying the impact that will have.

A strategy that was very successful for Microsoft was implemented during the xbox 360 era. They were THE place to play 3rd party games. This was a strategy that worked very well. They had exclusives but were not reliant on them. Just icing on the cake.

This seems to be the approach they are taking with the XBSX.

Additionally, Microsoft is doing things that provide great value and convenience for consumers (cross play, xcloud, gamespass). These are things that people on all sides should be cheering on. Every one of these consumer friendly policies should become standard.

Playing with friends regardless of platform is AMAZING!

Getting every new 1st party game (on release) and a huge library of 3rd party games for an insanely low monthly fee is MINDBLOWING!

Being able to pay for a game ONCE (no more stupid remasters charging full price) and play it across generations of devices and have the game look better as you get the newer console is a TECHNICAL MARVEL!

Being able to bring your console experience with you on the go is REMARKABLE!

Not everything Microsoft is doing is an apology for having no exclusives for the first year. This consumer friendly approach has been part of their DNA ever since the fucked up launch of the XBO.

If you are a fan of gaming in general you should be encouraging such behaviour.

The exclusives will come in year 2. Knowing that I am playing 3rd party games at the best possible quality should be good enough to hold me through the exclusive drought.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1927d ago
rainslacker1927d ago

MS strategy seems to be Sony's strategy for the past couple decades. Make a bunch of games people want.

It's a good strategy, and one they should have been practicing all gen.

As far as the remote play stuff, I dunno if that's really much of a break from what Sony already offers, but MS cross buy or release structure for different platforms is certainly different.

What MS has going on right now isn't really a bad thing as it stands. They just need to have the content to back it up.

kryteris1928d ago

It fumbles too often over my new fire hd10, geforce now works fine over wifi with the newer intel ax200 wifi 6 adapter. But no option for xbox streaming on pc yet.

Xavi4K1927d ago

Fun fact I had bad experience with fire Hd 10 too as well as bad experience with HTC phone however I got almost perfect experience with galaxy S10.

Show all comments (64)
270°

After years of waiting, Xbox Cloud Gaming's "Stream Your Own Game" feature is going live today.

Xbox Cloud Gaming victory: Finally, after years of waiting, you can now play (some of) your Xbox games on Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Read Full Story >>
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darthv72206d ago

Oh what timing... now that Portal is offering cloud streaming as well.

OtterX204d ago (Edited 204d ago )

Yea, it's incredible having titles available in handheld streaming format without having to have a console on. This is even better for traveling. I was messing around w it for the first time this morning and the quality was so good, I forgot at times that I was actually streaming. (1gbs) any minor imperfections aren't amplified like they would be on a big screen tv.

I guess XBox users can still do it if they have a Steam Deck, ROG etc, so nobody is left out. Streaming like this is best for handheld play IMO.

crazyCoconuts204d ago

I've tried streaming from various hotel chains while traveling. Hotel WiFi in general sucks and that makes streaming untenable

OtterX203d ago

@crazyCoconuts I guess it depends on your traveling style. I usually stay in privately owned hostels across our country who tend to invest more in good internet. I always check with them before I book.

OtterX203d ago

I just tested the Portal from our new home we're moving into, a 2 hour drive away and in the rural countryside where we have to run Starlink. No fibre available here, but getting 357 mbs, and I'm streaming my PS5 from our 1gbs at our old home. It's streaming perfectly, so not sure what you're going on about @crazycoconuts.

Neonridr204d ago

*for select titles, for premium members only..

Vits204d ago

What bothers me about this new Xbox offering is that you still need a Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play. It’s not like Stadia, where you could buy the game and play it without needing a subscription, which was only for extra features. So, who is this really meant for?

To use the service, you’d need to buy the game and keep paying for Game Pass Ultimate. That’s asking a lot, especially since Xbox console owners, who are probably the main audience for this, would likely prefer to just download the game and play it directly on their consoles. There’s a small case to be made for Xbox owners who travel often, but how big could that group really be?

As for Sony, their approach to streaming is also strange. They limit how games can be streamed locally. For example, the mobile app allows screen controls but doesn’t support most physical controllers, only the DualSense and, for some games, the DS4. Their reasoning seems to be that these controllers are needed for the proper features—yet the app lets you play with screen controls, and there’s even a third-party app that works with any controller.

Then there’s the Portal, which is basically a DualSense with a screen and an internet connection. But it’s only now getting cloud streaming, even though there’s no technical reason it couldn’t have had this from the start.

Bathyj204d ago

I was going to ask is this not what Portal is doing?

Are you telling me after all these years of bathering about cloud streaming you couldn't play your own games? WTactualF?

darthv72204d ago (Edited 204d ago )

playing your own games via streaming required the console (ala remote play). Now you can stream games you own without the need for the console to be on.

the xcloud beta was only for gamepass ultimate games and now you can stream ones you own regardless if they are in GPU or not.

Knushwood Butt204d ago

Power of da cloud, just a few years late.

redrum06204d ago

Still, that's for the Playstation Plus Premium/Extra library. This is for streaming games you own, which would've been nice to have on PS as well.

Kyizen204d ago

Different. Portal is catching up to Xbox Cloud Streaming but Xbox is catching up to Portal remote play feature it had at launch

darthv72204d ago

XB has always been able to stream games you own from the console (ala remote play).
The xcloud side let you stream without the console but only games in game pass.
NOW it is letting you stream games you own through xcloud without them needing to be in game pass.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 203d ago
MaximusPrime_204d ago

Thanks goodness for PS Portal. I don't even own Xbox

Giodel204d ago

omg I AM SO SO SO SOSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tired of this sites PS fanatism. This is an XBOX post for something XBOX does why do you have to go and mention portal? WHY tell me WHY?

VersusDMC204d ago

All the Fck horizon, Concord, PS5 pro articles and comments really make it a ps fanatic site...are you delusional?

Redgrave204d ago

Such is the nature of any gaming related website. It is inevitable. Unavoidable.

Some do it out of passion, some out of self amusement, and some just wish to sow pointless discourse.

Xbox posts will have Playstation comments and vice versa. Here, there, everywhere.

Nooderus204d ago

VersusDMC Yes i think most of the people that frequent this site have a positive sony bias.

Rockstar204d ago

Alright, calm down! It's just the Internet

redrum06204d ago

I know, N4G is known to be a PS centric fanboy site, it's ridiculous. Instead of constantly downplaying Xbox in whatever they do, maybe just be happy for the other. Competition is a good thing to have.

Michiel1989204d ago

@nooderus I honetly think there's nothing wrong with bias, but it really does seem that critical thinking goes out the window because of it, that part I just don't understand. Wouldn't people want the company/product or what have you to do the best they can instead of accepting everything they shovel towards you because you like them?

Gamingsince1981204d ago

Every site is playstation biased, because every one likes playstation and xbox is dead, what do you expect. That's like saying "this food site has a biased towards good food but everyone hates eating poo, it's so unfair to poo eaters"

cooperdnizzle204d ago

Well if you were on this site like 15 years ago you would know, that it was 99% Xbox fans and if you were Sony fans you had to fight tooth and nail to just say a game was good.

Second people like PS now days because it is by far the better platform.

Nacho_Z204d ago

Only seems that way ("PS fanatism") because Sony is currently on top. Naturally there will be more positive articles and comments about the front runner.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 204d ago
GotGame818204d ago (Edited 204d ago )

Sure, you can't leave the house with it, and play. Wii U did that YEARS ago right out of the box. You can cloud play, literally anywhere.

crazyCoconuts204d ago

Are you sure your Portal... Isn't an Xbox??

TheEroica204d ago

"thank goodness" 😂 what a shill.... The portal is a joke... One that only Sony could get away with on its soft brained fan base.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 204d ago
neomahi204d ago

I really don't think Nintendo and PlayStation need to get caught up in this. Streaming isn't the future, yet and there's no rush to get into that market. If Nintendo is still selling a mass number of Nintendo Switch consoles, what does that tell you? It tells you Xbox is trying to stay relevant and bring everyone along with them, but, like PlayStation's own fans have been telling PlayStation "THATS NOT WHAT WE WANT" and PlayStation is learning the hard way they're not listening to their consumers like they were with the PS3 and PS5. But, this isn't what people want yet. Nintendos dabbling in it and PlayStation has been doing it since they acquired Gaikai, but it's never stuck. People that have been streaming movies and ditching it and collecting physical media again, it's slowly going back in that direction and they'll tell their gaming brethren not to fall for it. Theyre getting physical media and loading it on to their own servers to run on home servers within their walls THEY control, not the corporations that sell them a license, not a product they pay for and own. Imagine buying cloths or your house that can be repossessed whenever Nike, DC, Vans, or Reebok want to take back because it goes out of style when they say so.

Streaming may be the future but it's the distant future. Internet service providers can't even sustain that. Data caps still exist and internet isn't that fast as it's most affordable prices. You're attacking a REALLY niche market that's going to be received as well as the PS5 Pro. Xbox killed their brand with the Xbox One that wanted to integrate streaming into their games to further try and sell and incentivise Xbox Live and we saw that went. Streaming could very well cause the next gaming crash, is how I see it. The rest of the tech world isn't ready for that, especially during yet another trying economy

cooperdnizzle204d ago

Hey dude they can take your house back. It’s called property tax. Paying for something you already own.

But I agree, I have already had digital games taken from me. Sucks

jznrpg204d ago (Edited 204d ago )

More options are good but streaming as a whole has a lot of issues. I will always prefer dedicated hardware. I’m bring my PS with me when I travel. Internet is not good traveling

darthv72204d ago (Edited 204d ago )

A PS5 (even slim) does not make for a good travel companion. Meaning on the go, not in a closed environment like a hotel room, but on a plane or a train or an automobile... this is what works in all of those situations: https://images.purexbox.com...

Its nice an compact but obviously still bigger than a handheld. If you want that 'console' experience that is.

Rashers204d ago

That still requires power leads for both the console and screen.

127maXimus204d ago

Yeah but you would still have to buy them for Xbox.

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100°

With Owned Xbox Games Finally Playable via the Cloud - the Promise of Stadia Returns

After some false starts over the past 24 hours, playing your owned games on Xbox Cloud Gaming is live. The cloud console officially returns! Is it Stadia's promise finally fulfilled?

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anast206d ago

I told you all. Here is comes.

206d ago
Eonjay205d ago

Playstation was already doing this with Premium. A lot of the games I own are streamavle on PS5. I assume they will eventually add access to the Portal.

NotoriousWhiz205d ago

False. Only games Playstation allows you to stream are those available on PSN premium regardless of whether or not you own them.

What Microsoft is beginning to do is enable streaming of some titles even though they aren't part of game pass (as long as they are owned by the user)

Eonjay204d ago

It's not false. I bought Final Fantasy Rebirth on PSN and I can still stream it to my PS5 even though it's not part of Plus. Same with many many other titles. PlayStation has allowed this since they revamped their streaming service like a tear ago. This will eventually come to Portal streaming during the beta I am sure.

gold_drake206d ago

yeh, we all saw what happened to it.

peppeaccardo205d ago

Whoever decided that gaming streaming was actually a thing to charge customers for is a F-ing genius .... even playstation portal lags and is only few feet away !from the PS5! Simply Why ? ... Why ?

250°

Coming to Game Pass: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, StarCraft & StarCraft II, and More

Happy spooky season to those who celebrate! We have a collection of scary games for you to enjoy with Game Pass, while hiding under the blankets (or maybe that’s just how I play). And if you want to do something slightly less scary, we have a whole list of games for you to start pre-installing including more day one additions like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and more! Let’s get to the games.

• South Park: The Fractured but Whole (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 16
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 25
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (Cloud) – October 25
Game Pass Ultimate
• Call of Duty: Warzone (Cloud) – October 25
Game Pass Ultimate
• Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 29
• Dead Island 2 (PC) – October 31
• StarCraft: Remastered (PC) – November 5
• StarCraft II: Campaign Collection (PC) – November 5

Read Full Story >>
news.xbox.com
242d ago
crazyCoconuts242d ago

Let the COD on GamePass experiment begin!
I would think their quarterly revenue will take a hit compared to a year ago, but will maybe make up for it throughout the year as the monthly GP subs keep coming in

pwnmaster3000242d ago

Was up with call of duty man?
I downloaded cod on gamepass and for some reason I cannot access the game.

darthv72242d ago

just curious what version? There are some that you can pre-load, but they wont work until their release date later this month.

pwnmaster3000242d ago

I have to redownload it again for the 3rd time to check.
I ended up just deleting it to make room for other games after the second time.

It was on Xbox game pass, I didn’t know there was other versions. I just downloaded everything, but sadly I couldn’t even access the game. Maybe 3rd time the charm. I’ll download it again.

SPEAKxTHExTRUTH242d ago

It’s not out yet man unless you’re talking about MW3.

pwnmaster3000242d ago

I’m talking about mw3. For some reason I could not get it to work.

just_looken242d ago

On xbox there is the last gen/current gen versions pc though you could also get a xbox version.

When that new forza first came out for one day they had the xbox version on the pc store i was like ? what it was odd.

On xbox you can easily download the one version of a game instead of the series version so you run into issues on your series console.

pwnmaster3000241d ago

Because a game won’t run after I download it??
Man your kids must hate your @ss if that’s how you think.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 241d ago
dveio242d ago

It's going to be very interesting to follow up on how the new entry of CoD will perform at the box office, player numbers and distribution of Xbox, PC and PS versions this year.

242d ago
DivineHand125242d ago

I got excited thinking they ported StarCraft to consoles but it's just the PC version. Also, I thought Starcraft 2 was already free to play.

TheColbertinator242d ago

I'm certain it is going to be the Campaign Collection version.

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