Microsoft Brings Seamless Cloud Continuity to Xbox Ecosystem
Console, PC, handhelds and cloud: Microsoft will in future unite Xbox gaming under one roof. The new course of the game function shows all the titles played across devices and makes seamless continues to play a reality – with a focus on the cloud.
Xbox standardized the gaming experience
Microsoft is rolling out a new “game course” function for Xbox insiders, which is intended to standardize the gaming experience between Xbox consoles, Windows PCs and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The feature is already available for testers a broader publication is expected in the coming weeks. The feature enables users to search and continue recently played titles – regardless of which device they were played on. No matter whether on an Xbox Series X | s, a Windows 11 PC or via the Xbox Cloud Gaming, the function records everything in one place. It appears below the main dashboard as part of the “Back in the game” section and also shows titles that were played on cloud-capable Windows handheld, such as the upcoming Asus Rog Xbox Ally.
Seamless synchronization between devices
The game history section of the Xbox PC app and the Xbox console user interface shows cloud games as part of the recently played titles, and this list follows users across devices. Cloud-assisted scores are also included, so that no time is wasted. Players can start a game via the cloud on a console and end it on a PC, even if the title is naturally not available on the second platform. In the library of the Xbox PC app there is now also a new search filter for cloud games and a “Back” list on the start page of the app.
While the big tiles highlight games that you recently played on your current device, the course of the game shows games that you played on each Xbox device, which makes it easy to continue where you have stopped. Lily Wang, Product Manager, Xbox Experiences
Background to the Xbox strategy
The new course of the game function fits into long-term strategy in Microsoft’s long-term strategy to lift gaming boundaries between different devices. Since the introduction of Xbox Play Anywhere in 2016, Microsoft has been pursuing the goal of offering players maximum flexibility. The concept made it possible for the first time to buy a game and play on both Xbox consoles and Windows 10 PCs-including shared success and scores. Xbox Cloud Gaming, originally known as Project XCloud, started as a beta service in 2020 and was continuously expanded. The service uses Microsoft’s Azure Cloud infrastructure and enables Xbox games to stream on devices that would normally not have the necessary hardware.
With over 25 million game pass subscribers worldwide, Microsoft has created a solid basis for cloud-based gaming services. Last but not least, the integration of handheld devices such as the ROG Xbox Ally Microsoft’s answer to the success of the Steam Deck from Valve shows. While Valve relies on Linux and its own proton compatibility layer, Microsoft uses the native Windows environment and the Xbox integration as a unique selling point. The ROG Xbox Ally is delivered with a specially adapted Windows 11 and pre-installed Xbox app.
