Xbox Cloud Gaming is about to get a whole lot better.
What you need to know
- Xbox Cloud Gaming lets you stream full Xbox games to your phone, tablet, or PC wherever you are, but it's powered by the aging Xbox One S.
- Rumors have speculated an imminent rollout of Xbox Series X hardware for Xbox Cloud Gaming for months, but there's been no official announcement.
- Some Xbox Cloud Gaming users are now reporting that select games are playing the Xbox Series X version, implying Microsoft has already begun testing.
- If true, Xbox Series X server blades are probably close to a full launch through Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is one of the best solutions for playing games while on the move or on a non-gaming device, and we've long assumed that Microsoft was planning a major upgrade with a move to Xbox Series X hardware, which would improve performance, visuals, and latency by considerable degrees. While Microsoft still hasn't made an official announcement about this planned move, we've been seeing reports from some users that Xbox Series X server blades are already live for select games.
It seems like Xbox is rolling out Xbox Series X server blades over at https://t.co/zJGI7IsdV6 for selected games.
— Klobrille (@klobrille) June 22, 2021
I'm playing the Xbox Series X version of Rainbow Six: Siege on xCloud, proof in the pic below (120 FPS option).
The game feels great and much more responsive. pic.twitter.com/Nn19ooIcDx
We've seen evidence that Rainbow Six Siege, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and other Xbox Series X|S Optimized titles now feature additional performance and visual options, and even support for up to 120 FPS. We've also seen some users report that they started playing a game earlier today, and then returned later on for it to be running noticeably better than before. All of this strongly suggests that Xbox has begun actively testing Xbox Series X server blades.
A move to Xbox Series X server blades over the aging Xbox One S hardware that's currently being used by Xbox Cloud Gaming will improve a lot of the weaknesses the service has at the moment, especially latency, and it's awesome to see that we may be mere weeks away from a full rollout.
Looks like Xcloud server blades were upgraded to Series X, Yakuza Like a Dragon is running great (Graphics options in pic). Also, the Kindle Fire HD 8 is a fine device for Xcloud. #Xbox #XboxGamePass pic.twitter.com/zd3AsZ2N2l
— ReyTality! (@ReyTality) June 22, 2021
Right now, all we have to go on are anecdotal reports from Xbox Cloud Gaming users, so take this with a small pinch of salt. Hopefully, we'll get a full confirmation from Microsoft and Xbox soon about when we can expect everyone to be able to play Xbox Cloud Gaming titles at Xbox Series X levels of quality. We'll keep our eyes peeled for more news and keep you updated.
If you're an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, you can play some of the best Xbox Cloud Gaming games through the Xbox Game Pass mobile app on Android, or the Xbox Cloud Gaming website on iOS and PC. You can also pair your device of choice with one of the best Xbox Cloud Gaming controllers for the best experience.
A catalog of games
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
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All your gaming needs, in one subscription.
Is the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate the best value in all of gaming? It's possible. Ultimate bundles your Xbox Live Gold subscription, an Xbox Game Pass subscription for both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, and Xbox Cloud Gaming for on-the-go. That means access to hundreds of games, with more added all the time, for a single monthly subscription cost.
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