Phil Spencer, the head of all things Xbox at Microsoft, confirmed in a recent blog post that Project xCloud is still making its way to Xbox Game Pass “later this year.”
While no other information regarding pricing or a specific release date has been revealed, it’s good to know that Microsoft has a plan in place for its cloud-based gaming initiative’s eventual public release. It also remains unclear what specific games will be included in the final version of xCloud, or if the service will allow Game Pass subscribers to stream every Game Pass title.
Project xCloud is currently in beta on Google’s Pixel devices, with a limited version of this preview also being available on iOS. Microsoft also confirmed that Project xCloud’s public preview is set to expand beyond its current 15 regions later this year. Project xCloud’s public beta launched in Canada a few months ago.
Along with this reveal, Spencer touted several interesting stats related to Xbox Live and Game Pass in the blog post.
First off, Microsoft says that Xbox Game Pass subscribers have added over 23 million friends on Xbox live since March, amounting to a 70 percent growth in friendship rate amid the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The company also says that Game Pass members are playing twice as much as normal and engaging in more multiplayer game sessions, amounting to an increase of 130 percent.
Finally, Microsoft says that GamePass subscribers play 40 percent more games and that more than 90 percent of members have played a game they wouldn’t have tried if they weren’t a subscriber. Since the subscription platform gives subscribers access to hundreds of games with new titles being added every month, this statistic makes sense. Testing out a title you otherwise might not have purchased at full-price is as simple as pressing download.
“The Xbox Game Pass library includes some of the biggest blockbuster franchises like Forza, Gears of War, Halo, Minecraft, NBA 2K, and The Witcher. It also includes dozens of high-quality games from independent developers, and 30 percent of our most popular games are family-friendly titles like Kingdom Hearts III, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Sea of Thieves,” writes Spencer in the blog post.
In Microsoft’s Q3 2020 earnings, the tech giant confirmed that its Xbox Game Pass service now has 10 million subscribers. However, Xbox content and services increased by just two percent this quarter.
Game Pass for Console costs $11.99 per month, while Game Pass for PC currently costs $5.99 per month with the service is in beta. For what’s coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC in early April 2020, click here.
Source: Xbox
