Microsoft may be planning a streaming service to play Xbox games on Windows.
Sometime last year, Microsoft was privately demonstrating streaming Halo 4 on multiple devices, including desktop PCs as well as tablets and phones. This may be the same technology, taking form and being prepared for commercial use.
The rumor goes that not only Xbox 360, but Xbox One games can stream through this technology. Furthermore, Xbox One games can run on full 60 FPS.
If Microsoft is planning to launch a live streaming service, they will have to face up to some challenges. Some of these are similar to what Sony is now dealing with with PlayStation Now, and some unique to them.
For one thing, licensing a game on Xbox that is also already on Windows for streaming may require special arrangements with third parties. Of course, this could potentially cut into the revenue these 3rd parties have selling these games on PC.
On another end, in spite of having the capability thanks to Microsoft’s Azure servers, the tenability of this service depends entirely on whether their customers live in areas that have internet services that handle them. This is one concern they share with Sony.
However, if the rumor is true, it is not only a strong contender against Playstation Now, but against Steam itself. Microsoft could offer a service to play games and use cloud saves off of Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Windows. Of course, Xbox controllers, which have their own drivers for Windows, would become more important product for the company. Halo is popular enough to make gamers sign up for such a service, and if Microsoft can build a strong lineup of exclusives on top of this IP, they can dominate this space.
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