Microsoft is teasing a cheaper version of Xbox Cloud Gaming in the future. The supposed aim for the company is to find a way to make Xbox’s cloud gaming venture “more affordable” to players.
Recently, Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s VP of Next Generation, sat down on the official Xbox podcast. During the show, Ronald discussed Xbox Cloud Gaming as part of a larger discussion including the upcoming Xbox Ally handheld and future pieces of hardware.
Touching on Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming, Ronald began reflecting on how players access the service by way of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. In Canada, the ability to use Xbox Cloud Gaming is exclusive to the $22.99/month subscription service.
“One of the things we see is there’s a lot of players who use Game Pass Ultimate to access the cloud, whether that’s the primary way they play, or an additional way to play on the go,” Ronald said. “I think for us, it really opens up the opportunity to make it much more affordable and make it more accessible to players. Whether that’s going into new regions, or new ways to actually access the [Xbox] cloud.”
Beyond this statement, Ronald does not give any indication of whether Microsoft will introduce a cheaper tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of the possibility. During the long-running FTC trial with Microsoft regards its Activision Blizzard acquisition, it was discovered that Microsoft was working on a “dedicated” version of Xbox Cloud Gaming.
The support structure for Xbox Cloud Gaming has been evolving over time as well. Originally, the cloud service allowed subscribers to access and play Game Pass titles from their device. However, Microsoft now allows players to stream some games that they own in their library.
Microsoft also has plans to allow players to purchase games from the Xbox app on Android. From there, players would be able to stream their game directly from the phone or other device. However, legal hurdles have placed this plan on ice.
Aside from focusing on Xbox Cloud Gaming, Ronald also took time to discuss the next-generation Xbox. While we’re still far away from an eventual release, Ronald notes that the next console will see more AI-powered features.
“We’re also investing in dedicated silicon to enable the next generation of AI capabilities, which will be transformative in how you actually experience your gameplay,” Ronald notes. It’s been long-rumoured that the next Xbox console will integrate Windows in an intrinsic way. Microsoft is also working with AMD to develop a dedicated processor.
“Together with AMD, we’re designing dedicated silicon and hardware to enable the next generation of gaming experiences,” says Ronald. “We’re investing deeply in the next generation of rendering technologies, such as neural rendering, which will bring a new level of quality to the games that you’re having.”
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
