Microsoft is currently working on Project xCloud, a new initiative that has the potential to change the industry.
Project xCloud is Microsoft’s own take on the fledgling cloud gaming services that have started to become popular in the recent years.
The concept was pioneered by Onlive but the platform failed to attract a suitable number of customers. At that time online streaming was still new and many people were reticent when it came to contracting such a service. Netflix arrived to change the scene but it was already too late as Onlive was already closed.
Of course, Project xCloud is backed by one of the most successful companies and it is likely that the Redmond giant will manage to pull in a high number of potential customers.
The aim of the project is to allow gamers to enjoy their favorite content on a variety of platforms, without being locked out by the need to use a PC or the Xbox in order to be able to play them. More than 3,000 titles which are currently available for the Xbox One will be integrated into the project, while support for future games will be offered in the future.
While the plan sounds really good the initiative is still in the early stages. The company will begin the first sequence of tests in 2019, focusing on how to adapt and stabilize the software. It is expected that several datacenters will be built around the world in order to deliver optimum performance even on a modest connection
If all goes according to plan future customers will be able to enjoy console-quality games on portable devices without the need to download anything else besides a small client app.
Sony is already offering a similar solution in the form of PlayStation Now. The service allows players to access a rich catalogue of old and new exclusive titles by using a PC/laptop and a Dualshock controller.