Gaming is one of the fastest-growing forms of media we have today, thanks in part due to the pandemic that has kept people at home. However, people would typically need a console or PC to game on, but that becomes less of a problem with the advent of cloud gaming. Now,
Microsoft is trying to “bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet” by bringing Xbox and
Xbox Game Pass with cloud-based gaming to more screens.
Interactive entertainment and video games are central to Microsoft, as “Games build bridges and forge bonds, generating mutual empathy among people all over the world,” explained Xbox Head Phil Spencer in a blog post released today. “When you talk about Xbox’s mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet,” says Microsoft CEO Satya Sadella, “that is precisely aligned with Microsoft’s mission, which is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” As such, Microsoft wants to “democratiz[e] gaming and defin[e] the future of interactive entertainment,” for all people regardless of hardware.
While Xbox Game Pass continues to grow, Microsoft and Xbox are
looking to expand access to its services on more devices. Primarily, the company is “working with global TV manufacturers to embed the Xbox experience directly into internet-connected televisions,” and “is building its own streaming devices for cloud gaming to reach gamers on any TV or monitor without the need for a console at all.” With this, Xbox is also working on new subscription models for Xbox Game Pass and payment plans for consoles with telecommunication providers to make games and hardware more accessible.
In the coming weeks, we will also see cloud gaming come to more countries like Australia, Brazil, Mexico, with Japan coming later in the year.
Cloud gaming in the browser will also be opening soon with Edge, Chrome, and Safari support, so “players will be a click away from gaming on almost any device.”
Overall, Microsoft and Xbox are working incredibly hard to bring gaming to as many people as possible, no matter the hardware or price issues. This democratization is amazing to see in action, and we cannot wait to see what Xbox does next, so stay tuned to
HotHardware for updates.