Xbox teases Game Pass demos, streaming for non-Game Pass titles

Xbox has provided early details on two upcoming Xbox Game Pass features that will give consumers more options to play.

The first, which is set to come later this year, is the ability to stream select games that users own outside of the Game Pass library. As it stands, streaming — formally known as Xbox Cloud Gaming — is only available for supported Game Pass titles. Xbox didn’t mention which “select” games will be supported, but did note that this feature will be exclusive to those with a $16.99 CAD/month Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

On top of this, Xbox has teased a new Game Pass program called ‘Project Moorcroft,’ which will offer “new, curated” demos of upcoming games. The company didn’t name any games, but it did say this program will begin with a focus on global independent developers when it rolls out “within the next year.”

The idea is that developers will be able to see how their demos perform and receive compensation accordingly. This data can then be used for the games’ final release.

Notably, this is a similar feature to what PlayStation is introducing with its expanded PlayStation Plus service, which is the company’s answer, of sorts, to Game Pass. Launching on June 13th, the new PS Plus’ most expensive ‘Premium’ tier will offer time-limited full game trials. These can range from two to five hours, depending on the title, and save and trophy progress will carry over should you choose to buy the game.

In this way, Project Moorcroft sounds different from PS Plus. The former appears to be focused on providing indie developers with early data to help them finish their games, while the latter is more of a way for people to sample an already released game before buying.

Regardless, it’s still early, especially considering Moorcroft doesn’t even have an official name yet. We’ll learn more on the service in the coming months,

For now, fans can look forward to the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, Microsoft’s E3-esque keynote that’s taking place on Sunday, June 12th. Many game trailers from both first- and third-party developers are set to be shown. Stay tuned to MobileSyrup for live coverage of the event.