Console gamers know that for the most part gaming has been tied to one spot in the home – maybe in the living room on the TV, maybe a game room where you and your friends fire up your Xbox console. I know there are times when you can’t play when you want to, like when someone else called dibs on the TV or you’re traveling and didn’t bring your console along. Or maybe you don’t own an Xbox console at all but want to experience it with your friends on the device most convenient to you. So today, we’re opening up new possibilities for you to remotely play console games on your Windows 10 PCs (or later) with updates to the Xbox app, including support for:
- Playing Xbox Game Pass games from the cloud
- Playing games directly from your console with Xbox remote play
With these new updates, you now can play some of your favorite console titles on a wide range of PCs, even those that don’t have the specs required for certain PC titles. Streaming games through the Xbox app provides the quickest way to play without having to install games on your PC, giving you more time to dive right into Psychonauts 2, Hades, or whatever else you are playing.
Play Xbox Game Pass games from the cloud
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in 22 countries can now play Game Pass games directly from the cloud in the Xbox app on Windows 10 PCs. Game Pass members have been enjoying Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) via browser on their phones, tablets and PCs and now can enjoy all the benefits of gaming from the cloud directly from the Xbox app.
Cloud gaming is ideal for those who want to quickly jump into a Game Pass game, either to continue playing a campaign you’ve been working through when you have a few free minutes, or to try out something completely new before deciding if you want to download it to your console.
To access games from the cloud on your Windows 10 PC, all you need is an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership and a compatible controller. Open the Xbox App, click the “cloud gaming” button, and select from hundreds of games in your Game Pass library, including Sea of Thieves and Myst, to start playing right away.
We’ve also added new features to help you get started, including easy-to-access information on controller and network status, Game Bar integration, social features to stay connected with friends, and the ability to invite people – even those also playing on cloud – to join you in a game.
To learn more about cloud gaming, visit xbox.com/cloudgaming.
Play games from your home console
Xbox Remote Play lets you play games from your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or any generation of Xbox One on your Windows 10 PC over the internet – from your home network or away! It’s essentially a way to mirror your console gaming experience on another screen: Browse and play your full gaming catalog, change Settings, interact with your friends – your games are all there. Starting today, you can access Xbox Remote Play feature within the Xbox App on Windows 10 PCs.
This marks the first time we’ve enabled Xbox Remote Play on PC for Xbox Series X|S owners. We’ve also made additional upgrades from previous iterations of Remote Play, such as general stability updates, allowing for games to stream at 1080p up to 60fps, and adding the ability to play select Xbox 360 and Xbox Original games, which has been one of the most highly-requested features.
Xbox Remote Play is available in all Xbox-supported countries and regions on Windows PC, Android phones and tablets, and iOS phones and tablets. To learn more about remote play, please visit xbox.com/remote-play.
If you want to start streaming games to your Windows 10 PC from the cloud or your console today, download the Xbox app from the Windows Store. In addition to streaming, the app lets you browse the full Xbox catalog, find your next favorite game, and see what your friends are playing and chat with them.