ManaByte
Member
Playing Xbox Game Pass through xCloud feels like a next-generation experience
It's not exactly new technology, but winning a round of Halo 3 on my mobile phone feels wrong - in the best possible wa…
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Perhaps it’s that these are proper games that we all know. Perhaps it’s that my saves sync across so my PC or console progress is right there on my phone. Perhaps it’s using a comfortable, proper controller. In all likelihood it’s a combination of these factors alongside some others beyond. Unlike many cloud gaming services so far, this feels like a complete, real, fully-functional service – and one that’s actually useful in the context of more traditional gaming.
I played on a 4G mobile connection and found it to be stable and good-looking. Occasionally I got some artifacting during Halo in particular, but the xCloud tech seemed to prioritize a smooth experience over visual fidelity – which is smart. I’d rather have a minor visual hiccup or drop in quality that doesn’t interrupt gameplay than hitching that could ruin a perfectly lined-up shot.
This beta version – which is listed separately to the current app in the Google Play store – is just slick. You can flick between Cloud, Console and PC game pass titles, and remotely order installation on your registered machines. This means you can try out a game on the go through the Cloud, then if you enjoy it cue up a download at home to continue locally. Your progress will automatically carry over. Games launch quickly and smoothly, and it handles things like syncing up new controllers well.