Summary
- Xbox Insiders can now stream console games to their PCs, including exclusive titles.
- Microsoft offers the feature to Xbox Insiders who are Game Pass Ultimate members.
- The shift in console gaming is evident as Microsoft makes previously console-locked titles accessible to all.
The console wars are a little weird right about now. Decades ago, each console would be lined up and inspected from head to toe to gauge which one was the most powerful and feature-rich, and then people would spend hours on internet forums arguing which one was better. Flash forward to today, and we have the PS5 powerhouse, the portable Switch 2, and the Xbox, which is trying its best to assimilate every device on the planet and turn them into consoles.
Despite Microsoft's actions, you still had to purchase an Xbox console if you wanted to play games that were released exclusively on it. However, that's now set to change. The company has announced that Xbox Insiders can now stream console games to their PC, regardless of whether the title is an Xbox exclusive or not.
Microsoft begins turning everything you own into an Xbox with a new aggregated library
As console and game prices spike, Microsoft wants to turn your gadgets into Xboxes.
Microsoft begins allowing people to stream Xbox titles to PCs
In a post on the Xbox News website, Microsoft breaks down what it's planning. If you're an Xbox Insider, subscribed to the PC Gaming Preview channel, and are also an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member, you can now play more games than ever before:
Starting today, Xbox Insiders in the PC Gaming Preview who are also Game Pass Ultimate members can stream select console games they own beyond the Game Pass catalog on the Xbox PC app in the 28 countries where Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) is supported.
Microsoft follows up this statement by clarifying that the feature "includes console-only games that previously couldn’t be played using the Xbox PC app," meaning you don't even need an Xbox to play Xbox exclusives anymore. As long as the game you want to play is part of the supported titles list, you can theoretically purchase it and then stream it using the Xbox App's Cloud Gaming feature. And if you want a look at the list as mentioned earlier, you can do so over on the Xbox store's "Stream your own game" category. If you can't see the title you want to play, Microsoft also stated that it wants to introduce more titles, including Xbox exclusives, over to the service soon.
If you want even more proof that console gaming has shifted significantly over the years, just check out the rest of what Microsoft is doing. We've written a piece on how Xbox's aggregated gaming library means PlayStation games could finally be coming to the next Xbox, and if the trend continues, Microsoft's main draw may be delivering previously console-locked titles to all who want them. Honestly, that's a future I'd love to see.
