7 years later, Xbox figures out how to make always-online gaming work

The Xbox Game Pass Android announcement finally accomplishes what Microsoft wanted to do back in 2013: give gamers a reason to accept always-online gaming.

[darthv72]

Imagine that... "streaming" requires an always online connection. Who would have thunk it? /s

[littletad]

That spin will work on N4G though.

[RazzerRedux]

What? This isn't the same thing that Don Mattrick tried to do with Xbox One being "always online" at all. That was a DRM check-in method, not a service for streaming. Just a silly comparison.

[caddytrek]

Even if this was a reasoable comparison which it isn't. Wouldn't that mean that PlayStation figured it out 6 years ago with PSNow which has has streaming since 2014?

[ApocalypseShadow]

This article writer is ridiculous. I could type a lot. Everyone knows I can. Nope. Not this time.

Just an apologist trying to rewrite history implying similarity to forced DRM. And that it was a good idea. I thought so initially of similarity. Since it has similar themes. But DRM was no choice, being monitored, being counted physically by a camera, always having to check in, no trade ins or lending to a friend.

But you don't need game pass to play Xbox one or Series X or any game in game pass. The system still works. Even offline. And without a camera. Most gamers still don't like the idea of DRM. No matter what influencers say.

And this article is still a puff piece for game pass.

[FallenAngel1984]

7 years later and people still are trying to find ways to justify Microsoft’s original vision of the Xbox One? 🙄🙄

[Sayai jin]

These two concepts are not the same. So there is no justification. By that logic, Sony (any streaming service) and other companies are using "always online".

[ForwardDude]

Google Stadia figures it first by that logic.

[Lexreborn2]

He’s not wrong though, if you have gamepass and turn off your internet and try to play the game it will tell you that you need to be online to play the game. You can register your system as primary and then turn off the online features but it still doesn’t give you access to certain games.

So I do have an always online console. Now! Do I care? No because I have options, I still can you know, buy my games and download or install them from disc. So, it’s not an always online console.

It is however a console with options. And as long as we continue to have options I don’t see a problem.

[TheEnigma313]

This is basically Xbox bowing out in the console space after this gen because they can't assert dominance. It seems more promising than stadia though.