A couple of months ago, Project xCloud streaming was embedded into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to allow Android users to stream all sorts of Xbox titles from the cloud to their mobile devices (this functionality is not currently available on iOS due to limitations imposed by Apple).
Microsoft's Head of Gaming Phil Spencer confirmed that while mobile has been the primary focus of the xCloud streaming initiative, PC and even Xbox consoles will be eventually supported.
Now, WindowsCentral managed to get hands-on with a PC version of the testing app. Everything seems to be working in a very similar way to what we've seen already on the Android platform, though there's a caveat - the resolution is currently stuck to 720p, as the servers that currently power xCloud streaming are based on Xbox One S hardware. While this isn't a big issue on small screens like smartphones and tablets, PCs are generally connected to far larger displays where 720p isn't really a desirable resolution anymore.
This problem will likely go away next year when Microsoft is planning to replace the Xbox One S-based server blades with the much more powerful Xbox Series X hardware. The resolution of xCloud streaming should go up to at least 1080p, if not further than that; after all, Google Stadia has offered 4K streaming for a year now, and the upcoming Amazon Luna should support 4K resolution 'soon'.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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