Microsoft made a series of announcements today ahead of its Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase on Sunday. There are no megatons here, but it’s worth summarizing what Microsoft said about what’s next for Xbox via console, computer, and cloud.
First, Microsoft announced a plan to implement the possibility for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play, from the cloud, selected games that they already have or have purchased outside of the Xbox Game Pass library. This will come at the end of the year.
Then, starting June 30, you can play cloud-enabled Game Pass Ultimate games without a console via Samsung Smart TVs in 2022. Microsoft’s plan is to deploy this feature to other satellites throughout the year.
The user interface of the Xbox application on Samsung smart TVs.
Microsoft has unveiled Project Moorcroft, a new program that will bring demos of upcoming games to Xbox Game Pass. Expect it to roll out next year.
The desktop version of the Microsoft Edge browser will have new gaming features coming soon, including some Xbox Cloud Gaming integrations. There’s a new game home page, a new clarity-enhancing feature that Microsoft says makes the game from the cloud clearer and clearer when playing in the Edge browser on Windows, and an efficiency mode. which helps improve performance on Windows 10 and 11 by automatically reducing the browser. resource usage when starting a PC game.
All the big Xbox Game Pass announcements of the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase of 2021.
New updates for Windows 11 include optimizations to improve latency and unlock Auto HDR and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). There’s a new HDR calibration app to help players improve the color accuracy and consistency of their HDR screens, a Game Pass widget, and a controller bar, which allows players to return to their games or access Xbox Cloud Gaming without the need for a mouse and keyboard. .
Moving on to the Xbox design lab, there are new pastel colors: soft pink, soft orange, soft green and soft purple, and new camouflage top cases with matching side covers: mineral camouflage, arctic camouflage, forest camouflage, sandglow camouflage and Blaze camouflage. .
Xbox Design Lab: Cake and Camouflage
Microsoft talked a bit about how Xbox is doing, without revealing sales of the Xbox Series X and S. It focused on how well the Xbox Game Pass has fared on PC, saying that compared to last November, the number of Game Pass members playing on PC. has tripled.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is becoming more popular.
As for Xbox Cloud Gaming statistics, Microsoft said the addition of Fortnite without subscription or installation had seen millions of players on iOS, Android and PC, with 20 percent of them new to Xbox.
This year, Microsoft is adding thousands of custom Xbox Series X server racks worldwide, increasing the capacity of cloud gaming by 125 percent to meet demand.
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And finally, Microsoft touched on its first-ever video game launch plan. He said that during his last fiscal year he launched five new games between console, PC and cloud. “We’re well on our way to reaching or exceeding that amount in the next fiscal year,” Microsoft said.
So what are these games? Microsoft’s next fiscal year begins on July 1, 2022 and ends on June 30, 2023. Arkane’s Redfall will be released next year. A new Forza seems a fact. I suspect Microsoft will consider the release of Obsidian’s Grounded 1.0 as the release of a new game. Bethesda Starfield is currently down during the first half of 2023. What about Hellblade 2 and Avowed Ninja Theory? Any more for more?