In a special episode of the official Xbox podcast last week, Microsoft CEO Phil Spencer and other senior gaming executives at the firm dropped some clues regarding the company’s future gaming endeavors. And now, when questioned about when players can expect to play their owned Xbox games through the cloud, Phil Spencer confidently stated, “This year.”
Players Will Get Xbox Cloud Gaming For Owned Games In 2024, Confirms Spencer
During the early stages of Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft’s VP Kareem Choudhry had mentioned that players would gain the ability to play their owned games via the cloud in 2020. However, Microsoft is still actively working on bringing this feature to fruition. In a recent interaction with an Xbox user, Phil Spencer (Microsoft CEO), known for his community engagement while playing games, affirmed that Xbox users would be able to access their entire game catalog in the cloud later in 2024.
Responding to a query from Xbox user NASburg regarding the status of this feature,“Any word or update on being able to play my Owned Games on XCloud?” Spencer said, “Should be this year.” While this is four years later than the initially projected timeline, still, later is better than never. Moreover, Windows Central has also verified the authenticity of this discussion.
Although Spencer did not delve into additional details on the matter, the feature is anticipated to be integrated into the Xbox Cloud Gaming service, granting gamers access to a vast array of well-known games across multiple platforms, including the web, PCs, Android devices, and even some latest model smart TVs.
This development holds significant importance for Xbox gamers who may wish to play games in the cloud through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and continue playing them in the cloud even if they are removed from the service. In the US, the base Game Pass subscription starts at $9.99 a month; however, in order to access the cloud gaming function, you’ll probably need to subscribe to the “Ultimate” tier, which runs a cool $16.99 per month.
Microsoft had high hopes for Xbox Cloud Gaming, seeing it as the ideal avenue to extend core games to the vast mobile market. However, adoption has been slow. By the end of 2023, there will only be approximately 39.6 million paying cloud customers, according to Newzoo’s most recent report; but, by 2026, that number might increase to 85.1 million. Therefore, in order to play such games on the cloud, gamers everywhere will need to purchase a Ubisoft+ subscription.
Also, Microsoft has no immediate plans to leave the console industry, even in spite of expanding its cloud gaming service. Additionally, Spencer reassured fans that Xbox consoles will not disappear, stating that “hardware is a critical component” of the company’s operations and Sarah Bond teased the next-gen Xbox console, stating it will be “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”.
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