Microsoft is believed to be cooking up some major enhancements for Xbox Cloud Gaming, promising a more robust experience for Ultimate subscribers. Gamers could soon enjoy streaming in 4K, access PC games, experience higher bit rates, and even more exciting features as part of the future rollout.
It’s been reported that Microsoft plans to gradually introduce non-Game Pass titles into Xbox Cloud Gaming. The service, which has reached a significant new milestone in user engagement, is seeing increased demand particularly in markets where Xbox Series X|S console numbers are still on the rise.
According to Windows Central, Microsoft is dedicating more resources to satisfy the growing demand. The improvements in the pipeline are said to include expanding to 4K streaming and offering support for PC games. Right now, Xbox Cloud Gaming streams at a resolution of up to 1080p, with frame rates of up to 60 fps, depending on your connection. However, Jez Corden from Windows Central suggests that Microsoft is actively working towards introducing 4K streaming, along with higher bit rates, which would greatly enhance the visual quality and overall user experience.
In the previous year, the service introduced mouse and keyboard support for several titles on PC. It seems PC-exclusive games might soon find their way to the cloud too.
In terms of expanding the game library, Corden hints that more “buy-to-own Xbox cloud games” will be added incrementally. Just last November, Microsoft made it possible to stream 50 additional games outside the Game Pass lineup, giving Ultimate subscribers more flexibility to access their owned titles. While we await further game inclusions with cloud support, Microsoft is reportedly planning “semi-regular content drops,” as they aim to expand their storage capacity.
As the development of an Xbox handheld device also seems to be in the works, these cloud gaming improvements would be perfectly timed. Are you a frequent user of Xbox Cloud Gaming? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
