Microsoft is expanding the availability of its cloud-gaming service with more ways to access the Xbox Cloud. In tandem with this move, the company is also updating its servers from Xbox One S hardware to Xbox Series X tech. This means that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can now get a next-gen gaming experience whether they are playing on the console, a Windows 10 PC, or almost any smartphone or tablet.
To access Xbox Cloud Gaming, all you need to do is go to xbox.com/play in a supported browser. That includes most modern browsers, like Chrome, Safari, or Microsoft Edge. If you’re an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, you can start playing games immediately without having to download anything extra. That applies to PC, but this browser-based method is especially important for iOS gamers because Apple continues to prohibit game-streaming competitors from the App Store.
Xbox Cloud Gaming continues to work through the Xbox app on Android. But it too will get the benefits of the improved Xbox Series X server blades.
“We’ve been upgrading Microsoft datacenters around the globe with the fastest, most powerful Xbox hardware to give you faster load times, improved frame rates, and an experience of a new generation of gaming,” Xbox Cloud Gaming head of product Catherine Gluckstein said. “To ensure the lowest latency, highest quality experience across the broadest set of devices, we will be streaming at 1080p and up to 60fps. Going forward we’ll continue to innovate and add more features to enhance your cloud gaming experience.”
The next step for Microsoft is to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to its actual consoles. It has announced plans to do that later this year, and this will enable Xbox One owners to play next-gen exclusives like Starfield in 2022 and beyond.