Microsoft plans to improve response time and more

Xbox Game Streaming – also known as Xbox Cloud Gaming or Project xCloud – has been officially available since September 15, 2020. You don’t need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to access it, you can stream free games like Fortnite for free. Subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs around €13, is only required for paid games. Although 15 million players have already tried cloud games, the latency, among other things, annoys many users. Microsoft has now announced that it is working on new features.

Response time should drop to 12ms

The current latency for Xbox cloud games is between eight and 74 milliseconds, according to data collected by Microsoft. In addition to network connectivity, factors such as caching, image upscaling, and VSync also affect latency. Microsoft wants to reduce latency in cloud games in the future and in a technology called Direct Capture. Resolution is limited to 1440p, although – currently – Xbox Cloud Gaming users can only stream at a maximum of Full HD anyway. If developers equip their game with the Isstreaming API and build support for Direct Capture in their games, users can take advantage of the maximum response time of 12ms. as such Morgan Brown from Microsoft in the videoThe company is also working on mouse and keyboard support for Xbox cloud gaming. It is unclear when the new features will be available.

To use Xbox Cloud Gaming, you need an internet connection of at least 10 Mbit/s. If you wish, you can also stream games online via 4G-LTE while on the go. Xbox game streaming resolution is limited to 720p on Android and Apple iOS devices, while PCs and Smart TVs can play in Full HD.

Also worth reading: Xbox Cloud Gaming: Microsoft brings the app to smart TVs

A collection of future Xbox Cloud gaming improvements:

• Microsoft has announced various improvements to Xbox cloud gaming. Latency should drop from 74ms to just 12ms.
• This requires the new Live Capture function. Resolution is limited to 1440 pixels. However, developers must first build support for live storage in their games.
• Microsoft is also working on mouse and keyboard support for gaming in Xbox Cloud Gaming.

source: Microsoft