Microsoft Begins Xbox Cloud Gaming Testing on Consoles

Microsoft has begun testing cloud gaming on the Xbox consoles. It’s currently only available for randomly selected members of the Xbox Insider programme, but in an Xbox Wire blog post, Microsoft says it plans to expand to more Insiders over time.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is designed to let players have the Xbox experience whether they’re on a smartphone, laptop or PC if they’re subscribed to Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft began testing its cloud gaming service on consoles Tuesday, and once implemented, the service could allow Xbox owners to play games on the Xbox Game Pass service without the need to actually install them. Not only does this let players jump into games sooner, but it also saves space on the console’s hard drive.

The Xbox Cloud Gaming beta is available to select members of the Xbox Insiders program, which gives console owners a chance to try out new features before they’re officially released. In the beta, players will be able to jump right into certain games tagged with “cloud gaming” without having to download them first. This option can save on valuable storage space, as Xbox Game Pass already includes more than 100 games, with some requiring up to 100GB. 

Because this is a beta, there are some issues, such as being unable to launch base games that are part of a bundle, in-game purchases not being supported, and certain games available only in English while playing in the cloud, which will mean the Xbox One will be able to eventually stream Xbox Series S / X exclusive games like Microsoft Flight Simulator and The Medium.

Microsoft didn’t provide a date for when this Xbox Cloud Gaming on consoles will be made widely available. Some features can take weeks of testing, while others can take several months. Last week, Microsoft released its latest edition of the Edge browser for Xbox. That had been in testing since March.