Tag: xCloud

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Valve’s Steam Deck now supports Xbox Cloud Gaming through Edge

Valve’s handheld Steam Deck can now run Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly called xCloud) platform through Edge.

It was previously possible to play Xbox Cloud Gaming titles through Chrome but handheld controls didn’t work, forcing players to use an external controller with the portable. Now a new beta Linux version of Microsoft Edge designed specifically for the Steam Deck includes full support for the potable’s built-in controls.

In a recent Reddit post, Miss Quarry, a community manager at Microsoft Edge, explained that Edge’s development team worked closely with Valve to bring full Xbox Cloud Gaming support to the Steam Deck through Edge.

“We’re particularly excited about this ourselves as we feel it can open new opportunities in the Linux gaming community,” said Quarry. Microsoft’s Catherine Gluckstein, the company’s head of product and strategy, also tweeted about the new Linux version of Edge designed for the Steam Deck.

This opens up the Steam Deck to the wide variety of Xbox Cloud Gaming titles, including Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Sea of Thieves, Minecraft Dungeons, The Outer Worlds and more. Microsoft has also released a detailed guide to creating a simple link to Xbox Cloud gaming on the Steam Deck to make it easier to access from the handheld. I’ve yet to try out Xbox Game Streaming with the Steam Deck, but I imagine the performance would be similar to playing a title through Edge on an iPhone or iPad.

It’s worth noting that several Xbox Game Studios titles are already compatible with the Steam Deck directly through Valve’s SteamOS, including Prey, Psychonauts 2, Forza Horizon 5 and more.

In other Steam Deck-related news, the device is now capable of running Windows, though the experience is far from perfect.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes Xbox Cloud Gaming, costs $16.99 per month. I’ll have a review of Valve’s Steam Deck on MobileSyrup in the coming days.

Source: Reddit (Miss Quarry), @CJGluckstein Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Mouse and keyboard support is coming to Xbox cloud games

I might finally start using Xbox Cloud Gaming (oft called xCloud) thanks to an upcoming, much-needed addition: mouse and keyboard support.

Currently, Microsoft’s game streaming service only supports gamepads and touch (on limited titles). While there’s nothing wrong with those options, I’ve found that restriction to be one of the main reasons I don’t use xCloud. The few times I’ve wanted to try xCloud games, I couldn’t because I didn’t have a controller handy. What did I have? Yup, a keyboard and a mouse.

Windows Central spotted the news in a developer Q&A video. A comment from Jorg Neumann, the head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, at 8:40 confirmed that xCloud keyboard and mouse support was on the way.

“The next step for us is mouse [and] keyboard,” Neumann said. “This is platform-level support, so it has nothing to do with us. Obviously, mouse and keyboard works for our sim. So the platform team is working on this. I know I can’t give a date because it’s the platform team. I don’t know their dates, but it’s coming.”

Neumann also said Flight Simulator would get touch control support in the future, and expressed interest in adding gyroscope support for mobile devices. Both would make Flight Simulator much more accessible on mobile devices, which can access the title now thanks to its recent arrival on xCloud.

Despite the lack of a timeline, it’s great to know that mouse and keyboard support is on the way. xCloud, to me, has always stood out as a great way to game on the go or for testing games before committing to a download. For the former, I often have a laptop with me when I’m away from home — mouse and keyboard support would make it much easier to use that for xCloud. For game testing, mouse and keyboard support would make it much easier to try PC titles like Age of Empires IV.

Source: Developer Q&A Via: Windows Central

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft starts testing xCloud integration on Xbox consoles

Microsoft has started testing Xbox Cloud Gaming, also called xCloud, integration with Xbox consoles.

Some Xbox Insiders in the ‘Alpha Skip-Ahead’ and ‘Alpha’ rings will gain access to xCloud starting September 28th. xCloud allows paying subscribers to stream games over the internet to their Xbox console (it also works on mobile devices and computers).

More than just game streaming, xCloud integration could allow Xbox owners to ‘try before they buy’ without needing to download a full game or a demo. Plus, cloud-based gaming could bring other benefits, such as letting players jump straight into a game with a friend just from an invite.

Over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles will be available as part of the initial xCloud test. Xbox Insiders will be able to tell which games support xCloud by looking for a cloud icon on the game art (it should appear in the bottom-right corner opposite the ‘Game Pass’ logo).

Like other platforms, Xbox consoles will support streams up to 1080p at 60fps, and the company appears to be pushing it more as a feature for trying games rather than as a replacement for console gaming.

Microsoft says xCloud integration will appear on all Xbox consoles by the end of the year. In other words, Xbox One owners will eventually be able to stream Xbox Series X and S exclusives — that could go a long way towards making it a proper game demo feature and help push users towards upgrading their console to get access to fancy new games.

Source: Microsoft