In a recent interview (via The Verge) with Stratechery, Xbox lead Phil Spencer offered some hints about where Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud Xbox game streaming could head in the future.
The interview with Stratechery is paywalled, but The Verge extracted some interesting quotes about Spencer’s thoughts on what the future could hold.
“I think you’re going to see lower-priced hardware as part of our ecosystem when you think about streaming sticks and other things that somebody might want to just go plug into their TV and go play via xCloud. (…) You could imagine us even having something that we just included in the Game Pass subscription that gave you an ability to stream xCloud games to your television and buying the controller.”
Brad Sams of Thurrott.com previously revealed that Microsoft was experimenting with a Chromecast-like TV dongle, dubbed Project Hobart. In the interview with Stratechery, Phil Spencer also reportedly mentions the possibility of an Xbox Game Pass “Platinum” tier, that would come with free hardware, similar in design to Xbox All Access.
Project xCloud is already exceeding expectations according to our sources.
Project xCloud is already exceeding expectations according to our sources, with strong uptake in Eastern Europe and South Korea. Microsoft has been aggressively promoting Xbox Game Pass’ cloud streaming features in partnership with Samsung in South Korea, showcasing how xCloud streams function on Samsung Galaxy tablets and phones. Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of ZeniMax Media (Bethesda Softworks) also comes with patents for unique streaming technology, dubbed Project Orion.
Xbox Game Pass and cloud streaming are certainly opening up new markets for Microsoft to explore. With the guarantee of flowing revenue from a paying subscriber base, there are many ways Microsoft could add value to the proposition. And you can bet that, right now, Microsoft is exploring every potential for xCloud right alongside the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
If you’re interested in Project xCloud Xbox Game Pass streaming, be sure to take a look at our roundups for best tablets for Xbox Game Pass xCloud gaming, and best phone clips for Xbox One.
