Microsoft announced on Monday the launch of a streaming service for gaming called Project xCloud. The new offering will leverage Microsoft’s powerful Azure cloud system to enable gamers to play Xbox One games on all devices.
“Our vision for the evolution of gaming is similar to music and movies—entertainment should be available on demand and accessible from any screen,” Microsoft’s corporate VP for gaming cloud, Kareem Choudhry, wrote in a blog post announcing the news.
Public trials for Project xCloud will begin in 2019, and all future and existing Xbox One games will be compatible with the service. Microsoft is also building hardware for its data centers in 54 Azure regions across 140 countries to enable low-latency gaming and support multi-user gameplay.
SportTechie Takeaway
Using distributed cloud computing for the rich graphical worlds and the inherent user engagement of gaming is a more technical challenge than for other entertainment. However, cloud computing seems to be the next frontier for gaming. Sony has released PlayStation Now, Google is working on Project Stream, and other competitors like GeForce Now, Shadow, and Liquid Sky are already in the marketplace. And though Amazon’s Twitch platform is not a game delivery service, there could be potential for it to pivot in that direction.