Xbox making big moves towards full implementation of their Gaming Streaming Service ‘xCloud’.

Microsoft is taking big strides with regards to making their Xbox Gaming Services much more easily and widely accessible to all people, on all devices, anywhere in the World. In keeping with this exact sentiment, reports have indicated that the Xbox division of Microsoft is now actively developing two wholly new product offerings that are aimed at expanding the Xbox service experience to a much larger playing field. These offerings are taking shape in the form of a Xbox Streaming Dongle codenamed ‘Keystone’, and a Xbox Streaming App for Smart TVs.

xCloud Evolved: The Past, the Present and the Future

After the concept of Gaming Streaming Subscription Services was made more mainstream by notable Major Companies Google and Amazon, with their Gaming Services ‘Stadia’ and ‘Luna respectively, Microsoft clearly wanted to follow suit and the Company eventually did with its launch of the titular ‘xCloud’ in 2019. Coined as Xbox’s Cloud Gaming Service, the xCloud was designed to bring a much more accessible gaming experience to the wider general public, all of whom would eventually gain access to their ever-expanding library of Video Games through the Subscription of this Service through Xbox’s Game Pass. After release, Xbox mainly aimed at allowing Mobile Phone and Windows Laptop users for their initial audience for the xCloud. In light of this, Xbox launched their xCloud App for Mobile Phones which is currently available to utilization in 26 Countries. The feedback from the General Population was quite positive, as people rejoiced at the fact that they could feasibly play Halo, Gears and Forza games on-the-go from their very own Mobile Phones. However, Microsoft and Xbox had much grander plans in place for xCloud. Looking to further build on what they learned by developing the aforementioned xCloud App, the Company has been openly hinting an xCloud App for Smart TVs as well as TV Streaming Sticks since the Year 2020. In fact, the idea of a Compact Xbox Streaming Device has been in the pipeline for the Company even since it first demonstrated ‘Halo 4’ streaming from the Cloud on a Window Phone all the way back in 2013. This goes to show that Xbox and Microsoft are totally dedicated in their vision of solidifying their own Gaming Streaming Service. However, the Company has also announced that they do not want to overshadow the Xbox Consoles and the Hardware in any way, shape or form with this Streaming Service. Stating that they intend to take both of these aspects forward in a hybrid manner, which they believe would be the future of how Video Games would be consumed by the Public in the decades to come.

The Xbox TV App

As mentioned before, Xbox has already experienced great success with their Mobile Xbox App, with the development of a TV App, this would definingly change the landscape of how Xbox games are consumed by the Company’s target audience. If made possible, Users would not require the purchase of an actual Xbox Console, instead all they would really need is an Xbox Controller connected to their Smart TV through Bluetooth, and this would allow them to stream and eventually play games on their Smart TVs. In terms of the TV manufacturers that Xbox plans to implement this App on, after experiencing a Fruitful partnership with Samsung in 2020, reports have indicated that Xbox is looking to further expand this partnership with the debut of their xCloud TV App on Samsung Smart TVs.

Keystone: The Xbox Streaming Dongle

In addition to the TV App, Xbox is also actively developing their very own Streaming Device which is currently only known as Keystone. The Company’s desire to have their own Streaming Device dates back to the year 2016, with their initial offering having been cancelled. Recent reports also indicate that Xbox is revamping their efforts once again towards a new iteration of their Streaming Dongle. The Device in question would be capable of being connected to any TV or Monitor without the any of an actual Xbox Console. The primary concept behind this Device took form because of the severe rise in prices of Console Hardware all around the World. Microsoft’s Head of Gaming Phil Spencer stressed the importance of their Product Ecosystem having the capacity to represent and offer lower priced hardware, which he believes would be in the form of their xCloud Streaming Dongle. With xCloud being planned to be implemented on Facebook Gaming and iOS Browser, all this effort goes to show that Microsoft and Xbox are clearly confident in the longevity of their Cloud Streaming Service which speaks volumes regarding where the Gaming Industry is being steered towards, as the efforts of these Major Companies today, could very well define the future of gaming.