What you need to know
- Xbox Cloud Gaming is now available on compatible Meta Quest headsets.
- Players who are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can stream games in the subscription service to their headset.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming is already supported on Xbox consoles and Windows PC, as well as compatible phones and tablets.
Xbox players can now stream games to more devices!
Xbox Cloud Gaming is now available on Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro VR headsets as an app, allowing anyone subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to stream games in the subscription, projecting them on a 2D theater-style screen when wearing a headset, as was announced by Meta earlier in the year.
Not all games on Xbox Series X|S consoles support Xbox Cloud Gaming, but there's an expensive list of games that are available, including first-party titles like Doom Eternal, Halo Infinite, and Starfield. The Quest 3, Meta's latest virtual reality headset, was unveiled earlier in the year and recently launched on Oct. 10, 2023.
In the announcement blog post, Meta notes that anyone interested in using Xbox Cloud Gaming on a Quest headset needs to make sure it's been updated and then pair a controller.
Xbox Cloud Gaming took a backseat in 2023
Microsoft took a step back from investment in Xbox Cloud Gaming in 2023, with focuses on other measures, including finalizing the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As part of this deal, Microsoft was willing to sell off the Cloud gaming rights for Activision Blizzard titles to Ubisoft, except in European countries in order to fulfill obligations made to the European Commission.
This restructuring made the deal more palatable to the CMA, the regulatory authority in the U.K. Prior to this, the CMA had blocked the deal over concerns that Microsoft would become dominant in the uber-nascent Cloud gaming market.
Investment into Xbox Cloud Gaming seems to be slowly ramping back up, with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer recently noting that the ability for players to stream games they own through Xbox Cloud Gaming is still on the way. This feature was first announced back in 2022 as coming toward the end of the year, but Microsoft hasn't given an updated window on when to expect it yet.
Analysis: Another option for choosing how to play
I don't think this support would be the deal-maker for someone choosing whether or not to buy a Quest headset, but it's always nice to have more ways of enjoying games. Some people might want to play their games this way, so Microsoft and Meta providing that option is neat.
This will be even more beneficial when players can eventually stream their own games through Xbox Cloud Gaming, instead of merely relying on the titles available in the subscription library at the moment.
