Last month, Microsoft unveiled its Project xCloud game streaming service. This week, the company teased the upcoming service at the Samsung Developer Conference. Microsoft says the concept of Project xCloud is to bring Xbox cloud gaming to all platforms, including mobile devices.
Of course, partnering with the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world would be a good move for Microsoft. It’s little wonder Microsoft was at the Samsung Developer Conference, and Xbox chief Phil Spencer made an appearance via video.
The Microsoft executive said the company will bring the highest-quality Xbox games to Project xCloud. This will be achieved through Microsoft Azure, which will serve as the technological underpinning of the service.
As a cloud product, games would run in a server center managed by Microsoft. Users would not need huge processing power, so triple A titles could play on mobile devices.
“Any other form of media, the idea that is locked to one device is totally foreign,” Spencer said.
“We want to be so that anyone holding a Galaxy phone is holding a gateway to a high-powered gaming experience,” said Sarah Bond, head of gaming partnerships at Xbox, while onstage at SDC 2018.
Samsung seems to be on board and intrigued by introducing Project xCloud. Thomas Ko, vice-president of services management for Samsung, said the company’s Galaxy phones represent the biggest gaming platform available. He says 56 percent of Galaxy smartphone owners play at least 10 times a week.
Controls
Last month, we reported on Microsoft trying to solve one of the issues facing its cloud gaming project. Specifically, a problem with controls. Virtual controls are hardly good enough for triple A Xbox titles and while users can connect an Xbox One controller, it is not really practical for mobile users.
Microsoft is working on solving this issue with its own split control system in the vein of the Nintendo Switch.
