Microsoft Expands Xbox Cloud Gaming, Which Is Good For Everyone

Today, Mircosoft announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming is expanding to four new countries: Japan, Mexico, Brazil, and Australia, starting on October 1. 

Microsoft's service allows users to play games remotely over the internet on their PC, tablet, or smartphone. The service launched in the U.S. around this time last year and has only continued to expand since. Xcloud users stream over 100 games from the cloud, including Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Minecraft Dungeons, and Dragon Quest 11 S: Definitive Edition. The service is a great way to experiment with games quickly, allowing for great game discovery, as you can easily try out a game within seconds and see if you like it without waiting for a download. 

But this isn't an ad for Xbox Cloud Streaming; I like the service, but you should check it out for yourself. Microsoft continues to push Xbox Cloud Gaming, which shows that the publisher is committed to putting its content wherever players can easily access it. This is especially great considering that "next gen" consoles remain hard to find even almost a year after launch. If Microsoft continues to refind the service, many users might feel that they don't need to upgrade to the new Series X/S platform, finding they're content to play the newest games on old hardware. Case in point, the cloud service is coming to Xbox Consoles this Holiday, letting users play select Xbox Series X games on their Xbox One. 

In a recent blog post, Microsoft said, "With the expansion of Xbox Cloud Gaming to gamers in Australia, Brazil, Japan and Mexico, we’re now opening the opportunity for over one billion people in 26 countries across five continents to be able to play Xbox Game Pass games from the cloud on their phones, tablets and PCs. Since cloud gaming is powered by custom Xbox Series X consoles, that means these games are being played on an Xbox in the cloud, bringing faster load times and improved frame rates to the gameplay experience." 

As Microsoft continues to put its resource into services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Game Pass the services will only improve, creating a great alternative for those without a Series X/S. Still, we hope that Microsoft continues to work to solve the consoles shortage problem so that players who want to get their hands on the latest tech can do just that. Games are fun, and having more ways to play them is always better.