It was June when we last heard anything about Xbox Cloud Gaming on previous-generation consoles, but today, during Gamescom 2021, Microsoft released the final details — and it’s better than we initially thought. While we originally heard about this feature coming to the Xbox One, which is really awesome, it’ll also launch on Xbox Series X|S. Why is that important? Well, some games are Cloud only, but the real bonus here is you won’t have to download or install any compatible game to play it, as long as you have a fast enough internet connection. That’s right — if the game is part of Xbox Cloud, you just hit “play” and are instantly launched in. Want to learn more? Keep reading as we break it all down.
Microsoft breathes new life into Xbox One + Series X|S with Cloud Gaming, launching this holiday season
The Xbox One is starting to show its age, having originally been released back in November 2013. That’s coming up on nine years ago. Sure, there were subsequent releases like the One S and One X, but they all were based off the same 8th-generation gaming platform. Well, it’s time to dust off that older console. As of this holiday season, Microsoft will enable cloud gaming for Game Pass Ultimate members, broadening their library by 100+ titles that can be enjoyed with the click of a button.
If you have a 500GB console, this is particularly great as you don’t even have to install the games to play them. Since everything lives in the cloud, you just hit a button and are instantly launched into the game. This also means that you won’t have to wait for long download times if you’re unsure whether or not a game is something that you’ll be interested in.
1080p 60FPS is a great target to aim for right now, and can easily expand to higher resolution in the future
Sure, it’d be great to have 4K 120Hz gaming through Xbox Cloud, but honestly, that’s not a huge deal. As someone with a 1440p 240Hz monitor on my gaming rig, I can tell you that whether I play at 1440p or 1080p, it’s hard to spot a difference in quality. It’s much easier for Microsoft to target 1080p 60FPS right now, considering many gamers don’t have the bandwidth for 4K 120Hz gaming over the internet, and even fewer have TVs capable of supporting such a standard. Plus, the company can easily deploy upgraded servers or features in the future to support 4K 60FPS or even 120FPS at any time.
Game Pass Ultimate continues to gain additional value month by month, further showing Microsoft’s leadership in the gaming space
If you’re wondering how much this’ll cost to get on your Xbox One, chances are you’re already paying for it. That’s right — this feature will be included as part of Game Pass Ultimate, a service that many Xbox users already have. We wrote about it last year, stating that it has a value that Sony just can’t compete with, and Microsoft continues to show that this is true. Whether you’re a Game Pass Ultimate member or not, it’s well worth the asking price of just $15 per month, considering all that it brings to the table.
While last holiday people clamored for new consoles, this time around it’ll be for Game Pass Ultimate
Last year, people were clamoring to get the latest consoles from Sony and Microsoft. This year, stock will still be scarce on both, and while Sony gamers will have to wait and hope that they get lucky on a stock drop, Xbox fans can fire up their aging console and enjoy next-generation titles with ease. No lines, no waiting, just playing. Keep a look out for Xbox Cloud Gaming this holiday season on an Xbox One, S, X and Series X|S near you.
9to5Toys’ take
I’m blown away by how much Microsoft has packed into Game Pass Ultimate. For $15 per month, you get Xbox Live Gold, Games with Gold, Game Pass, EA Play, and Cloud Gaming. It’s hard to deny the value is there, and Microsoft shows no signs of stopping with more and more titles being added as launch-day releases for Xbox Game Pass members. I absolutely love the service and happily pay for it, and I will continue to do so in the future.
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