What is Microsoft’s Project xCloud?

Project xCloud, Microsoft’s game streaming service, is growing. Here’s everything we know so far about the service.

For plenty of publishers and platform holders, streaming looks like the next big thing in gaming, and that’s led to the launch of many new services focused around the concept. From PlayStation Now to Google Stadia, each service works a little differently, making them even harder to keep track of. Soon, Microsoft’s Project xCloud will add yet another game streaming service to the list to complicate things further. To help determine if Microsoft’s streaming service is the one for you, here’s everything we know so far about Project xCloud.

What is Project xCloud?

Project xCloud is a game streaming service. The service will stream a selection of video games from Microsoft’s servers to a device you already own. It’s a whole different beast from Xbox Console Streaming, which lets you stream games you already own from your Xbox One to a different device.

Using Project xCloud, you won’t technically own the games, and you’ll never have to download them. You don’t even need an Xbox console to make it work. In 2020, Microsoft says it will give Project xCloud subscribers the ability to stream games you already own from the cloud to your devices.

What do I need to run Project xCloud?

All you need to play games with Project xCloud is a mobile phone, tablet, a Chrome Browser, and a fast internet connection. Because games are running on Microsoft’s servers and sending data to your device, a fast internet connection is crucial to avoid lag that could make the games unplayable. While that may make the service unusable for some, it’s also what allows it to work on mobile phones at all. According to Microsoft, mobile devices running Android version 6.0 or later, and with Bluetooth version 4.0 or later, are compatible.

Microsoft recently said Project xCloud would be available on PCs running Windows 10 sometime in 2020. No exact timeline or required system specs have released.

Currently, Project xCloud supports Xbox console with Bluetooth, and support for PS4 controllers and certain Razer controllers is also expected to launch next year.

Related: Everything Announced at X019

How do I sign up for Project xCloud?

Project xCloud is currently in a preview phase, meaning registrations are severely limited. Microsoft makes it clear that if you sign up for Project xCloud, it may take several months to receive an invitation, and many people who register won’t receive a spot at all. Applications are available for those in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea at the moment. In 2020, the program will expand to Canada, India, Japan, and parts of Europe.

If you still want to get in line for the Project xCloud preview, you can sign up using your Microsoft account on Project xCloud’s website.

When does Project xCloud officially launch?

There’s no official word on when Project xCloud will move from its preview phase to a full launch, but it’s expected to be sometime in 2020. Before that happens, though, Microsoft will continue its slow rollout during the testing period, so it could be some time before it’s available to everyone.

How much does Project xCloud cost?

During the preview phase, Project xCloud is free for its small group of testers. Once that preview ends, though, Project xCloud will switch to a subscription service. No pricing information has been announced, nor has the possibility of outright buying games through the service. Project xCloud will eventually be built into Xbox Game Pass at some point, according to Microsoft, but it’s not clear whether it will appear as an add-on for an extra fee or as part of the base package.

What games are available on Project xCloud?

Project xCloud’s library is growing, and it’s expected to add more titles during the testing phase and after it fully launches. The preview started with just five titles available, which has grown to a library of 50 games as of now. Microsoft is working with 25 publishers now, and that number is expected to keep growing. The full list of games currently available on Project xCloud is below.

• Absolver
• Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
• Ark: Survival Evolved
• Battle Chasers: Nightwar
• Black Desert
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
• Borderlands: The Handsome Collection
• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
• Children of Morta
• Conan Exiles
• Crackdown 3
• Darksiders 3
• DayZ
• Dead by Daylight
• Dead Island: Definitive Edition
• Devil May Cry 5
• DiRT Rally 2.0
• F1 2019
• Felix the Reaper
• Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour
• For The King
• Forza Horizon 4
• Gears 5
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• Hello Neighbour
• Hitman
• Just Cause 4
• Killer Instinct
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance
• Madden NFL 20
• Mark of the Ninja: Remastered
• MotoGP 19
• Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
• Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
• Overcooked
• Oxenfree
• Puyo Puyo Champions
• RAD
• Recore
• Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
• Sniper Elite 4
• SoulCalibur VI
• State of Decay 2
• Subnautica
• Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
• Tekken 7
• Tera
• The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut
• theHunter: Call of the Wild
• Tracks – The Train Set Game
• Vampyr
• War Thunder
• Warhammer: Vermintide 2
• World of Final Fantasy Maxima
• World of Tanks: Mercenaries
• World of Warships: Legends
• World War Z
• WRC 7 FIA World Rally Championship
• WWE 2K20
• Yoku’s Island Express