Update: The folks over at VentureBeat have also been reporting on this story today, advising that the streaming puck and an Xbox Cloud Gaming app for Samsung TVs should be set to launch within the next 12 months.
Original story: We've been hearing for quite a long time now that Microsoft is building its own streaming device(s) for Xbox Cloud Gaming, but we shouldn't expect a streaming stick - it's a "puck", according to The Verge reporter Tom Warren.
Warren says that this streaming puck is part of the "Xbox Everywhere" initiative, which also includes confirmed plans for TV apps, along with the ability to play all your owned Xbox games via the xCloud service.
"Xbox Everywhere includes devices like a TV puck for Xbox Cloud Gaming, apps for TVs, and even Microsoft's original plan to let you play all Xbox games you own through the cloud."
Warren says that he believes we'll be hearing a lot more about "Xbox Everywhere" in the coming months, as "xCloud is getting ready for more markets, more games, and more devices."
It's been almost a year since Microsoft confirmed plans to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to internet-connected TVs and via physical streaming devices, but there was no date given at the time. Hopefully we'll be getting a rollout this year...
Excited for this, or not overly bothered? Let us know down in the comments below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 17
I have been saying for a while that I expected MS to make a 'dongle' (whether its a Stick, Puck or whatever they want to call it) that plugs into 'any' suitable device and enables you to sync a controller to it as well as connect to your internet service for the soul purpose of enabling you to play any Cloud based MS game.
Whilst Smart TV's may have 'apps' and MS 'could' just make a Game Pass app, the issue of connecting a controller and in such a way to provide the 'best' (as in lowest input lag) is an issue with the TV's own OS so it makes sense that the 'Dongle' is as much about connecting controllers to be able to play with the 'lowest' lag as it is about getting Game Pass on that Display.
I think I said in my Xbox/Bethesda predictions - as far as Hardware announcements, Some Dongle to be announced, along with a Starfield Ltd Edition Console/Controllers - and maybe an Elite V3 controller too...
Its inevitable!! MS announced at GDC they have Xbox Cloud Publishing - Publishing games that run natively in the Cloud - maybe that Rumoured Kojima Cloud game will also be announced...
Xbox Cloud Gaming is Basically Xbox Game Pass for Mobiles as Mobiles use Cloud Streaming to play games like Forza, MSFS etc - Games that are not capable of running natively on that very limited Hardware. Game Pass Ultimate combines Game Pass for Console, for PC and for Mobile - hence you can 'stream' to any compatible device using Xcloud if you upgrade. It chucks in Gold too, so if you prefer PC, its not going to cost you extra to play any game, any where - just like you don't have to pay extra if your main platform is Console and want to play on PC/Mobile with Ultimate.
That's all well and good but simply, the connection strength to run these games, even in the western world, ain't that great.
Surely a bigger (visible) push for better connection quality worldwide would make cloud gaming a much more enticing offer for many.
The ability to play all the games you own via the cloud, not just currently the ones with cloud enabled on game pass would be a HUGE benefit and improvement. Fingers crossed đ¤
@pip_muzz Yeah because it's always been only the games that are on Game Pass that you can stream, any games you own you can't.
Xbox sure is bringing back a load of things from Don Mattrick's vision of the XB1 recently. What's next, the return of the snap functionality?
Not big news they said they would back in 2020 ( streaming stick ) although the playing the games you own is new ,I only expected just game pass games and I really welcome that
@Grumblevolcano The world just wasnât ready for Dons genius. Remember when we all kicked off about âalways onlineâ⌠imagine a world now where your Xbox or PlayStation didnât need to be online.
Gonna be really interesting to learn things about this⌠how much it will cost. I assume it will only come with one sub option - gamepass ultimate⌠will this end up ensuring gold and gamepass standard tiers are dropped? I can see them being replaced by a âgamepass premiumâ that includes ea play and say Ubisoft. How will people react suddenly having to pay more for EA play.
And the big question isâŚhow will this end up affecting console sales. Just as we start hearing how Xbox is out selling ps5 over the last couple of months. Introducing this will surely stump that momentum. Does this show us once again Xbox doesnât care about console sales?
Sounds like a good option. Though we've got as many "streaming sticks" as we do streaming TV services now. I doubt that the "XStick" will also support Stadia, or vice versa.
@Daaan14 It's a bit of a chicken and the egg really. Not even these big companies can put much pressure on, but by offering these kind of services it creates the demand for faster, and more reliable internet like HD streaming TV did.
@Daaan14 What speed do you think you need?
HDMI2.0 is 18Gbps and that is 'good enough' to deliver 1080p visuals at 120fps. The game isn't 'running' on your 'internet' its running on Hardware and sending the image to your display - much like a 'console' running the game and sending that image to your display via a HDMI cable. You don't need much 'upload' speed to send the controller input back to the hardware.
If your internet speed is not the 'best', it could drop res to 720p for example and that is possible on 4g mobiles.
Point is, the ONLY thing your internet speed would effect is the size of the image you can stream. If you don't have 40Gbps download speeds on your internet, then you can't do 4k/120 fps streaming - like you can't if you don't have HDMI 2.1 because the ONLY thing the Bandwidth is doing is sending the frames over the internet and 'uploading' the inputs you make.
At the moment, the 'highest' you get is 1080p and 60fps and you don't really need some broadband fibre optic speeds to play. Unless you are on some 'old' dial-up service, then maybe its not 'great' but you can stream with 4g Bandwidth on a mobile, not always the best because its not as stable and can be interrupted and/or disrupted with all the other 'wireless' devices/signals interfering. Most people have a decent enough ISP but rely on its wi-fi mode (which is not the 'best' and prone to be disrupted by other electrical household appliances) and therefore gives a false impression - especially if people around you are using mobiles, Microwaves etc as they all can impact on their wifi signal
A lot of western Governments have made promises - for example, in the UK, they expect 85% of the Population to have Gigabit broadband by 2025 and Nationwide (at leat 99%) by 2030 - so unless you live on one of the 'remote' islands around the UK, you can expect better internet in the near future. I'm being promised that I can get Fibre to the house (not just to the junction box with Copper to the House) Internet in the 'very near' Future - although my Broadband is around 20Gbps upload and 70Gbps download - more than enough for 4k/120 streaming if that option arises without needing to 'upgrade' my internet package
Honestly, the Series S can be considered the largest, most powerful âdongleâ in history. Lol. Love the Series S for its cloud gaming capabilities and very much think a dedicated Xbox Gaming Dongle is a fantastic idea. I think the struggle will be selling it to both the gaming public and the casual public, given the struggles Stadia encountered in essentially doing the same thing. However, Xbox/Microsoft have the recognition that theyâve already got a dedicated service and experience before pulling the stunt, so perhaps theyâll have better luck. For all the complaints that can be levied against cloud gaming, Iâm glad that itâs an option, and Iâm also glad that it works better than itâs detractors want to admit.
Well, if that is the case that is the end of buying physical for me I guess.
@BAMozzy Games I play are slow and laggy and that doesnât even mention input lag from controllers. I live the UK and Iâm finding the xcloud thing a subpar experience. I dread to think what countries with lesser, experience.
Iâve no doubt that this may become good in the future but the experience so far is meh.
@Daaan14 I live in the UK too and that is definitely NOT my experience at all. I have played several games on my Laptop (wifi) and Series X (hardwired) and within seconds, I forget that the game is NOT playing locally on my Hardware.
If you are talking about playing on a 4G mobile or using wifi (regardless of what device - especially 2.4 Ghz wifi that may have more range but also slower and much more prone to interference) in your house with many other electrical appliances then your experience will not be the 'best'.
You need to hardwire your console to your Router for the BEST results or use the 5Ghz Wifi mode if you 'must' use Wifi. Most of the time its down to 'user' ignorance rather than the fault of the Service. Not realising that your Mobile Phone or even a Microwave on in a kitchen screws up the quality and consistency of their wifi. Not understanding that other people in the house may be streaming Netflix or uploading their pics/videos to their social media on the same wifi frequency etc - all of which can be improved by hardwiring their device to the router or selecting 5Ghz wifi to reduce the interference.
If you are still on Dial-up, not in a 'great' place for your wifi (walls and electric in walls also block wifi) as well as all the potential interference etc, then its going to be a compromised experience compared to what it could be and maybe does require an upgrade, a better ISP, maybe some Wifi extenders etc to improve it.
However, Cloud Gaming itself isn't the issue (as others have also experienced) its not Subpar, its your ISP/set-up that is Subpar because you don't 'need' a superfast package to get the 'best' experience - that only helps in a 'big' family situation where EVERYONE is online and using bandwidth.
@BAMozzy again though, and I donât want to keep this going - you clearly know your stuff but most people arenât going to re-connect this and that and troubleshoot problems. They may have loads of other devices going and pushing connections through wallsâŚif the setup isnât great and doesnt work almost flawlessly - even with the weakest of connections - people like me wonât approve it!
Why not just release the app on firesticks đ¤ˇââď¸
For me this is important. I have through the past three generations including this one bought a Nintendo, Sony, and MS console for my gaming room that has two TVs, and an additional XB for the other four TVs in my house so that I can play games in alternate parts of my house and watch my Films & TV movies. Also, I own two additional XBs for my vacation property.
Being able to stream will eliminate the purchase of five consoles for alternate TVs. And, if I can access all my games through a "cheap" puck on each TV, then I will no longer buy other consoles. I would miss some exclusives, but my feeling is over the next five years exclusivity will mostly be a thing of the past as the big three console vendors are all slowly starting to support each other and release more and more games cross platform... I cannot wait for the day where I don't have to buy so many consoles in order to play most of my games.
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