Xbox Is Officially Branching Out From The Console

What was once implied is now official as Microsoft has confirmed their plans to branch Xbox out from just the console space and bring it to multiple different kinds of screens.

In a press briefing that was made public today, Xbox talked about the ways in which the platform is succeeding today as well as their plans for its future. What are they keys to these plans? None other than Game Pass and cloud streaming. The company confirmed that they are in talks with TV manufacturers about bringing the “Xbox experience” to Smart TVs, meaning you’ll only need a controller to play your games. They’re also making their own device that will allow you to stream games directly to your TV or monitor with no need for a console. Both of these are plans that Xbox Head Phil Spencer has hinted at before, but this is the first official confirmation that they’re in the works.

In regards to Game Pass, Xbox is “exploring new subscription offerings” for the service that may be more affordable for those around the world that currently aren’t subscribed. In a few weeks, browser based cloud gaming will be made available for Game Pass Ultimate members through Edge, Safari, and Chrome. Later this year, cloud gaming through Game Pass Ultimate will come to Australia, Japan, Brazil, and Mexico. Cloud gaming will also be made available on PC and integrated with console, opening up the potential for playing games through the cloud before purchasing them in a demo-like fashion.

Anyone playing their Xbox games through cloud streaming will get a vastly improved experience later this year, as the company is improving their datacenters with Xbox Series X specs. This will allow cloud gaming to see faster load times, higher frame rates, and the chance to experience Series X|S optimizations.

Finally, the company is talking with telecommunications providers about introducing new purchasing models akin to Xbox All Access, that way consumers have more options when it comes to buying a console and Game Pass.

Each of these plans are things that Microsoft and the Xbox team have been building up to for the past couple of years. With their bullish approach to getting great new content on Game Pass, and their desire to get their cloud streaming service on as many devices as possible, the long term vision has always been clear if one paid close attention. Seeing it start to come to fruition exciting and has the future of Xbox looking greener than ever before. We’re sure to see more of the fruits of their labor this coming Sunday during their E3 showcase.