Xbox Game Pass has had its ups and downs, with more ups recently as Microsoft looks to be taking full advantage of Cloud Gaming and their PC libraries! Xbox Cloud Gaming has been available for some time now for Ultimate tier subscribers of Game Pass, but now, that’s all about to change with Microsoft announcing plans to give Cloud Gaming to more Xbox players.
Microsoft has made the move to extend Cloud Gaming to more tiers of the Game Pass service, with Core and Standard subscribers gaining access to the on-the-go experience! Along with this, as part of the Xbox Insider test, Microsoft is also including some PC Games for Game Pass Core and Standard Subscribers. Obviously, this element is currently subject to whether or not you are part of the insider program, which would be a crying shame if you aren’t, as many Xbox users are eager to get the inside scoop of what’s what with what’s to come.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently behind the wall of Ultimate Subscriber access only, which costs around $19.99 a month. However, if rewinding back to what I said earlier, if you are part of the Xbox insider program, BEHOLD the power of gaming with the cloud if you are a subscriber that isn’t Ultimate! The Xbox insider team has also had a small say on the lowdown of this current update as they look forward to bringing more eyes to the cloud, saying, “As part of this Insider experience, Xbox Game Pass Core and Standard Subscribers will be able to stream cloud-playable games included with their subscription or select cloud-playable games they own.” Exciting times ahead!
With the promise of excitement lying ahead, this follows Microsoft recently hinting at a “more affordable and accessible” way to gain access to cloud gaming. Microsoft has also previously hinted at the fact they are working on a separate, more “dedicated” version of Xbox Cloud Gaming and have even indicated that there could be a free version of Cloud Gaming with advertisements, but get a free experience in exchange, sounds okay if you’re alright with being offered a vacuum at half price occasionally, right?
Moving to the PC side I spoke about, Microsoft is also expanding PC game dual access to Game Pass Core and Standard subs too. “As part of testing, Xbox Insiders subscribed to Game Pass Core and Standard will for the first time gain access to PC versions of select titles, giving you even more flexibility and the choice to play on a PC or Windows handheld,” which the Insider team also mentioned as part of their update.
If this is appealing to you, and you are a part of the gang that hasn’t quite subscribed to the insider program just yet, now is the perfect time! Join the Xbox Insiders program from your respective machine and then head over to Xbox.com/play to access cloud games or Xbox app on Windows for the additional PC titles! What a time to be alive, huh? Getting access to Xbox titles and PC titles provided to us by Microsoft when we desperately need entertainment!
Are you part of the insider program and are you excited to try the new features out? For me, this is a brilliant update coming from the team over at Microsoft who are keen to have Xbox Insiders test the cream of the crop, which in hindsight a majority of Xbox fans are insiders nowadays anyhow! Microsoft really is catering to everybody, and this is ahead of them releasing Helldivers 2 on Xbox for all to enjoy, so as I must do my part, I’ll see you in the game, ciao!
