Xbox Cloud Gaming is set to launch in time for Christmas this year.
The new service from Microsoft will allow consumers to play games streamed to their devices through the cloud, as opposed to having to install them locally.
Currently only available on PC and mobile devices, Microsoft plans to launch the service for its new Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles as well as older Xbox One machines.
The announcement follows the trend of American tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Amazon pushing towards subscription services and software playing a greater role in the gaming industry than traditional hardware.
Subscription services like the Xbox Game Pass gives players access to a library of more than 100 titles for £7.99 a month. Cloud gaming, where games are hosted on remote servers and streamed to users’ devices over the internet, has become a big part of Microsoft’s strategy.
Japanese rival Sony has been betting on services through its PlayStation Plus subscription model for many years now, giving gamers access to online multiplayer and, more recently, select free games every month.
The video game industry grew massively in 2020 as a result of the global pandemic confining many of us to our homes.
It is now a £130 billion industry, which is more than the global film industry and the North American sport industry combined.
What’s more, with next-generation consoles finally releasing , it looks like this monumental growth shows no signs of slowing down. Xbox Cloud Gaming and similar services will help drive this growth, as they bring greater accessibility and lower entry costs than are available through traditional hardware consoles.