Microsoft will soon launch a dedicated game streaming device, the company announced today. It is also working with several TV makers to bring the Xbox experience directly to internet-connected displays, and it also plans to bring cloud gaming to the Xbox app for PC later this year.
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It's unclear what these new game streaming devices will look like. Microsoft didn't provide any further details, and so far, we don't know which TV manufacturers it will partner with.
It's no secret that Microsoft is a big believer in cloud gaming. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, it lets its subscribers play more than 100 console games on Android, for example by streaming from the Azure cloud. In a few weeks, it will open up cloud gaming to Edge, Chrome, and Safari browsers to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers (currently in limited beta). And later this year, it will bring Game Pass Ultimate to Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan.
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Microsoft is trying in many ways to decouple gaming from hardware. The main advantage Microsoft has here is a large library of popular games, something that is mostly lacking in competing services, with the exception of Nvidia's GeForce Now platform - although that has a different business model, since its focus is not on a subscription, but on allowing you to play games you buy on third-party stores like Steam or the Epic store.
“We believe that games, this interactive entertainment, are not about hardware and software. They are not about pixels. They are about people. Games bring people together,” said Microsoft’s Xbox chief Phil Spencer. “Games build bridges and create bonds, creating mutual empathy between people around the world. We are here to deliver joy.”
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It's worth noting that Microsoft says it's not scrapping the dedicated hardware, and is already working on the next generation of console hardware - but don't expect a new Xbox console anytime soon.
Information source: techcrunch.com
