Microsoft's upcoming game streaming service Project xCloud just achieved a major milestone, and should now be available to more Xbox employees for internal testing. As reported by Xbox chief Phil Spencer on Twitter, the xCloud team shipped a new "Take Home" build, which should enable more Xbox internal teams to get their hands on the nascent streaming service. Up until now, xCloud testing was limited, although there have been a few high-level employees using xCloud in the wild, including Spencer himself.
Spencer followed up to reiterate xCloud's planned public testing phase, scheduled to arrive later this year. Presumably, the test will be limited in scope as Microsoft rolls out Xbox One-based server blades across to Microsoft's datacentres across the globe, undoubtedly starting with North American markets. You can expect to see Project xCloud in greater detail at E3 2019, either during the Xbox keynote or during the festivities in early June.
Congrats to Project xCloud team for completing their takehome release. Excited to get feedback from our internal teams ahead of public trials later this year. pic.twitter.com/un1T8mg0d4Congrats to Project xCloud team for completing their takehome release. Excited to get feedback from our internal teams ahead of public trials later this year. pic.twitter.com/un1T8mg0d4— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) May 1, 2019May 1, 2019
Project xCloud will enable Xbox gamers to access Xbox games from anywhere, on any device with a stable internet connection. Project xCloud will also allow developers to create custom touch-based controls for gaming on a smartphone, and we've heard some hardware partners have been working on accessories to make Xbox gaming on phones a little more ergonomic.
It remains to be seen whether or not Project xCloud will truly deliver console-quality gaming over the internet, but as global internet speeds tick ever upwards, getting this technology into consumers hands is more about future-proofing than anything else at this point. Tencent, Google, Amazon, and others are preparing streaming services of their own, after all.
Are you interested in Project xCloud game streaming? Do you think it'll work? Hit the comments, let's talk.
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