Microsoft to launch xCloud streaming free with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in September

[NARMAK]

Originally Posted by partridge

Well, that's not arrogance is it; it's good business sense. There's a reason why MS is "giving this away" at such a low price.

I guess sometimes it's a perspective.

Somebody puts profit as a barometer of "Good business sense" may see it as being fine to jack up the prices whilst reducing value proposition and having reduced customer numbers as long as the overall profit grows.

[GRD43L]

Originally Posted by NARMAK

I guess sometimes it's a perspective.

Somebody puts profit as a barometer of "Good business sense" may see it as being fine to jack up the prices whilst reducing value proposition and having reduced customer numbers as long as the overall profit grows.

It absolutely about perspective.

From Service Provider's perspective, it's 'confidence'.

From customer's perspective, it may appear as arrogance.

[heyadol]

Looks like they also killed the much alluded to Game Pass for Switch. Not sure how streaming to a tablet w/ on-screen controls or bt controller is a better option than streaming to Switch w/ built-in physical controls.

Xbox Game Pass now sounds unlikely to launch on Switch, PlayStation via Eurogamer

[WinterBox]

Imagine the time. money, and the effort to come up with xCloud. It's a ridiculous concept.

Yes, by all means. I want to play a game on my phone with major lag vs playing on my expensive 4K TV. On the new Xbox system that we be buying in November. Yes, that makes sense.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by WinterBox

Imagine the time. money, and the effort to come up with xCloud. It's a ridiculous concept.

Yes, by all means. I want to play a game on my phone with major lag vs playing on my expensive 4K TV. On the new Xbox system that we be buying in November. Yes, that makes sense.

Also, gaming on a touchscreen for certain genres of game is horrifically bad.

I suppose things might get more exciting if Apple and others can suss AR glasses. Nice big screen with Bluetooth or wireless controller. Enough space to run a stream or live video chat in between gaming or even at same time.

[heyadol]

I think we should maybe consider that we are not the target audience for xCloud (or Geforce Now, or PS Now, or Stadia). It is probably intended for people who can't (or choose not to) buy into the hardware but are still interested in the ecosystem. For developing markets, or people who put their calls on full-blast speaker and yell at their phone while holding it at mouth level like they are about to eat a hot dog.

I'm pretty much a gaming addict and occasionally I will go to extreme measures to get my fix, but xCloud (on Android at least) doesn't cut it. I am curious to see what it will be like when it improves, and perhaps it can augment my gaming experience at some point, but as long as they keep making direct-attached hardware (and entertaining games) I will stick to playing on consoles.

[NARMAK]

Personally i got PS Now and family have been using it on a PS4. The fact you get a bunch of games to download and also stream is quite useful. Although personally i still am not a massive fan of the streaming aspects due to lag etc.

The download versions by themselves present a unique price proposition if you find it on offer.

[Mavrick]

Well that's gotta hurt, apple are not allowing xcloud on any of their devices.

[Blu Lemmy]

Yep, dick move.
Their excuse of each release not being checked by MS is balls....all games get rated checked

[heyadol]

I don’t understand why it would matter. I use Splashtop everyday to access my pc and I can run any Windows app, even malware (although that would be silly so I don’t).
I wonder if they can just run it in a browser like their other PAAS/SAAS.

Edit: Upon further reading, I guess the difference is I own my PC and everything is mirrored on my local device vs. an instance that is created w/ your credentials on an xCloud/Azure blade.

I’m not dying to use this service but I am annoyed that I’m being cut out by Apple bureaucracy and the inability to find an Android tablet that doesn’t suck.

[Talal86]

So xcloud let you stream gamepass games, not games downloaded on your console? (like Sony's Remote Play)

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by Talal86

So xcloud let you stream gamepass games, not games downloaded on your console? (like Sony's Remote Play)

Biggest difference though is that remote play is local only as far as I know where as xCloud works anywhere you have a suitable data connection I think.

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by heyadol

I don’t understand why it would matter. I use Splashtop everyday to access my pc and I can run any Windows app, even malware (although that would be silly so I don’t).
I wonder if they can just run it in a browser like their other PAAS/SAAS.

Edit: Upon further reading, I guess the difference is I own my PC and everything is mirrored on my local device vs. an instance that is created w/ your credentials on an xCloud/Azure blade.

I’m not dying to use this service but I am annoyed that I’m being cut out by Apple bureaucracy and the inability to find an Android tablet that doesn’t suck.

I haven't tried this service yet but I have tried streaming games via PlayStation Now and the lag is absolutely horrible. I was playing F1 2019 and even the opening videos and various cutscenes stutter like mad. I couldn't play it, it was like watching a youtube video trying to buffer every 5 seconds and I'm on a 200Mb/s down 21Mb/s up fibre connection with a circa 10-15ms ping.

I'd obviously need to try this out before judging but so far my streaming experiences have been absolutely shite.

[heyadol]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

absolutely shite.

That's a fair review of the beta if you played a game that required reflexes.

Actually, i think a good way to put it into perspective is to consider Bloodstained. I really enjoyed this game and had a lot of fun on Xbox, but my backer copy was for Switch. If you play the unpatched Switch version, that's how Bloodstained was on xCloud...playable, but enough latency that your timing will be off and you will change the way you play to compensate for it.

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by heyadol

That's a fair review of the beta if you played a game that required reflexes.

Actually, i think a good way to put it into perspective is to consider Bloodstained. I really enjoyed this game and had a lot of fun on Xbox, but my backer copy was for Switch. If you play the unpatched Switch version, that's how Bloodstained was on xCloud...playable, but enough latency that your timing will be off and you will change the way you play to compensate for it.

About what I expected.

It's the same old story across the board it seems. Stadia is no better. I guess we will need to see 6G roll out before we have a data infrastructure anywhere near capable of running these streaming services.

[Derb]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

About what I expected.

It's the same old story across the board it seems. Stadia is no better. I guess we will need to see 6G roll out before we have a data infrastructure anywhere near capable of running these streaming services.

Starlink.

Done.

[heyadol]

Starlink is looking pretty good for beta users, I hope they reveal pricing and availability soon.

[Mavrick]

31ms latency is pretty damn high isn't it? For gaming that is.

That's a best too, those pings look horrendous. If cloud platforms perform like crap on my fibre connection with 10ms Ping I don't think this is going to make any difference.