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Microsoft XBox (Games) Games

Microsoft is Building Its Own Streaming Devices as Part of a Major Xbox Game Pass Expansion (protocol.com) 33

Posted by msmash from the up-next dept.
Microsoft on Thursday announced plans to expand its Xbox Game Pass subscription service to many more screens, including third-party smart TVs and also streaming devices the company is currently building itself. From a report: Microsoft intends to deliver its subscription platform on less powerful hardware via the cloud, as it does now with Android and iOS smartphones using a beta version of its Xbox Cloud Gaming service. "We believe that Microsoft can play a leading role in democratizing gaming and defining the future of interactive entertainment," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a prerecorded interview with Xbox chief Phil Spencer. "There are really three key areas where we believe we have an incredible competitive advantage: First, our leadership in cloud computing. Second, the resources we have to build our subscription service, Xbox Game Pass. And third, our overall focus on empowering creators." Microsoft says it's in the process of "working with global TV manufacturers to embed the Xbox experience directly into internet-connected televisions," adding that no extra hardware will be required, save a controller. The company is also "building its own streaming devices for cloud gaming to reach gamers on any TV or monitor without the need for a console at all."
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Microsoft is Building Its Own Streaming Devices as Part of a Major Xbox Game Pass Expansion More

Microsoft is Building Its Own Streaming Devices as Part of a Major Xbox Game Pass Expansion

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  • Xbox XCloud Streaming Series Next Gen. Because MS is terrible at naming things.
  • We all want yet another device. We don't have enough. I hope this one has very limited uses. I'm sick of devices that do lots of things, like smartphones and tablets.

    • More devices with a subscription services to actually use them. Make me buy the device outright, and make it utterly useless if I don't pay the subscription fee! THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED!

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by EvilSS ( 557649 )

        More devices with a subscription services to actually use them. Make me buy the device outright, and make it utterly useless if I don't pay the subscription fee! THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED!

        So buy a full size Xbox then. It's not like this is your ONLY choice for playing Xbox games.

    • XCloud runs on phones and tablets too. No need for another device if you have those.

      But if you don't have those, and don't want a full console, then you can soon buy a TV with an XCloud player built in.

      This isn't so much about more devices, but more choices. For anyone who already has a 'device', they are probably ready to go now.

      Whoops...you do need a controller. I guess that could be seen as a proliferation of devices. But playing games on a touch screen isn't the same experience. A lot of games bene

    • We all want yet another device.

      But you don't need another device. For many smart TVs it'll be just another app for them. Given their partnership with LG for the XBox Series X I suspect LG will be the first to get it.

  • Was MSFT waiting to find out if streaming was just a fad?

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Guspaz ( 556486 )

      Who exactly was being successful at game streaming ten years ago? Who is even successful at it today? OnLive was founded in 2009 and went bankrupt in 2012. Gaikai was founded in 2008, and was sold off to Sony for their technology in 2012. Google launched Stadia in 2019, and was already scaling down operations by 2021. Playstation Now was launched in 2014 but has always lagged massively behind in technology and games, only streaming mostly PS3 games and older in 720p until 2021. GeForce Now took five full ye

  • "We believe that Microsoft can play a leading role in democratizing gaming..."

    As Bernadette Bassenger once said, "you've got to be fucking joking."

  • There's already too many streaming devices and services as it is. All this does is split up the content forcing people to subscribe to multiple services to be able to watch what they want because each service buys exclusive distribution rights to some shows and/or movies. This is worse than cable bundling because it ends up costing more. And yes, I know I can subscribe and unsubscribe at will on a monthly basis, but that's a pain in the ass and when I want to watch something, I don't want to have to worr
  • Too expensive for the lack of a game library.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Guspaz ( 556486 )

      Game Pass is widely considered to be the best deal in gaming, with a Netflix-style "all you can eat" access to all the games on offer (603 games at the moment) for ten bucks a month. If you think that's too expensive, then what the heck do you expect from a game streaming service? It's a bargain for people who can't afford a high-end console and a lot of games.

      • If you have a device that can run this service, then you can at the very least save for a console. You spent over $500 on a phone, a console isnt that much of a jump.
        Yes, but the vast majority of the games on the service are either bad, old, pay to play, or some combo of the three.
        Also, if this becomes the main way to play games, us users will lose out. It will have the same problems Netflix and the movie/TV industry currently has, without the ability to pirate the game. I am not paying $10 a month to pla

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