- Staff
- #1
Microsoft has announced that Xbox Game Pass will be streamed directly to your TV in the future through Cloud Gaming. While it reiterated that consoles remain the "flagship experience", all that will be required to play Game Pass content on a compatible TV is a controller, without the need for additional hardware.
The company is currently working with global TV manufacturers to embed the Xbox experience directly into internet-connected TVs, it told press this week. And it's also building its own streaming devices to bring cloud gaming to any TV or monitor without the need for a console.
That is likely to include a selection of fairly recent models, so Xbox will also release its own streaming devices that connect to a wider range of TVs and monitors. It sounds similar to a Chromecast with Google TV, as a dongle that smartens-up your screen.
"Cloud is key to our hardware and Game Pass roadmaps, but no one should think we're slowing down on our core console engineering. In fact, we're accelerating it," Xbox's experiences and platforms boss Liz Hamren said during a video presentation. "We're already hard at work on new hardware and platforms, some of which won't come to light for years.
"But even as we build for the future, we're focused on extending the Xbox experience to more devices today so we can reach more people. And many of those devices won't be built by us. For example, we're working with global TV manufacturers to embed the Game Pass experience directly into internet-connected TVs, so all you'll need to play is a controller.
"Beyond that, we're also developing standalone streaming devices that you can plug into a TV or monitor, so if you have a strong internet connection, you can stream your Xbox experience."
"We need to expand our audience beyond console, to new demographics and geographies we haven't reached before, and provide meaningful value for that audience to choose to spend their money with us," said CFO of Xbox Tim Stuart.
Xbox confirmed Cloud Gaming will come to Xbox app on PC and web browsers this year. No timeframe was confirmed on when it would be integrated directly into TVs or when the streaming devices will be available.
The company is currently working with global TV manufacturers to embed the Xbox experience directly into internet-connected TVs, it told press this week. And it's also building its own streaming devices to bring cloud gaming to any TV or monitor without the need for a console.
That is likely to include a selection of fairly recent models, so Xbox will also release its own streaming devices that connect to a wider range of TVs and monitors. It sounds similar to a Chromecast with Google TV, as a dongle that smartens-up your screen.
"Cloud is key to our hardware and Game Pass roadmaps, but no one should think we're slowing down on our core console engineering. In fact, we're accelerating it," Xbox's experiences and platforms boss Liz Hamren said during a video presentation. "We're already hard at work on new hardware and platforms, some of which won't come to light for years.
"But even as we build for the future, we're focused on extending the Xbox experience to more devices today so we can reach more people. And many of those devices won't be built by us. For example, we're working with global TV manufacturers to embed the Game Pass experience directly into internet-connected TVs, so all you'll need to play is a controller.
"Beyond that, we're also developing standalone streaming devices that you can plug into a TV or monitor, so if you have a strong internet connection, you can stream your Xbox experience."
"We need to expand our audience beyond console, to new demographics and geographies we haven't reached before, and provide meaningful value for that audience to choose to spend their money with us," said CFO of Xbox Tim Stuart.
Xbox confirmed Cloud Gaming will come to Xbox app on PC and web browsers this year. No timeframe was confirmed on when it would be integrated directly into TVs or when the streaming devices will be available.
