Starting today, thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming, players with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription will be able to play Xbox Game Pass games from the cloud on their Xbox console. This comes as part of the Xbox Cloud Gaming program that Microsoft launched in September 2020.
Up to this point, players could play Xbox Game Pass games from the cloud on their PC, Android, or iOS device. Today, that functionality expands to the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
Xbox Cloud Gaming was teased at E3 2018 before being demonstrated in March 2019 with Forza Horizon 4 being played on an Android phone with an Xbox One controller. Following a formal reveal at E3 2019, the beta for the service was finally launched late in 2020. It allows players to play the full library of Xbox Game Pass games which include first and third-party titles like Sea of Thieves, Halo Infinite, and One Step From Eden. The service is included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate which retails for $14.99 monthly.
The Xbox Cloud Gaming service has been revolutionary in terms of its ambition and scope. When compared with similar programs like Google Stadia, Shadow, or Nvidia GameStream, it is arguably the least complicated in terms of setup and reliability. Additionally, it doesn't require users to own the games as they can simply stream whatever game is already included with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. That includes over 100 games from well-known developers with more being added on a monthly basis. Additionally, players can use any number of accessories like Razer's Kishi, Sony's Dualshock 4 controller, or simply their own Xbox controller to play.
By finally bringing the service to consoles, it would appear that Microsoft is fully opening their services to the entire ecosystem of gaming, aside from competitors' devices like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. There are two big draws to the Xbox Cloud Gaming service coming to console. The first is that players will be able to play titles on day one without a need to own or even install the title. This means for highly anticipated titles like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5, players and their friends can simply launch the game using the cloud icon without having to spend potential hours on an install, updates, and trying to convince friends to buy the game.
The second big draw is that Xbox One players will be able to stream Xbox Series X/S exclusive titles like The Medium, Recompile, and The Riftbreaker. This will help players experience games that they wouldn't be able to otherwise because of things like stock issues or the expense of a new console. Overall, it's hard to argue the value that comes with Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming. For those looking to play the latest titles at a fraction of the cost with the easiest setup, Microsoft is apparently the one to beat.
Source: Xbox Blog