Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Remote Play are available in Xbox app for Windows

Microsoft is releasing an update to the Xbox app for Windows 10, adding support for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can use it to stream games to their PC. Streaming from an Xbox console is also possible.

Cloud gaming in the Xbox app for Windows makes it possible to play games that are only available for consoles, or to quickly launch a game without having to install it first. At the time of writing, there are 294 titles on Game Pass that support cloud gaming. A Game Pass Ultimate subscription is required to use Xbox Cloud Gaming; that costs 14 euros per month. A controller is also required, as cloud streaming works with console versions of the included games.

Xbox cloud gaming was initially only available for Android devices. Earlier this year, browser streaming was also added as a solution to make the service available on iOS. It could also be streamed to PCs.

Last month, Microsoft already tested Xbox Cloud Gaming support in the Xbox app for Windows with Insiders. Now it is available to all users. The update also adds the ability to stream Xbox games from a console to the Xbox app for Windows. That which works via the Xbox Remote Play function, for which apps for Android and iOS have been available for some time.

Xbox cloud gaming should also be available on the Xbox Series X and S by the end of this year, and Microsoft announced earlier this year that it was working on a streaming device for “cloud gaming on any screen.” This could be a stick that can be connected to TVs and monitors. It is not yet known when it will be released. Xbox cloud gaming uses streams with up to 1080p resolution and a frame rate of 60fps. The games run in Microsoft data centers on hardware based on Xbox Series consoles.