Exclusive details on what the Xbox Cloud Gaming Bring Your Own Games launch will look like: regions, game library size, access on iPhone, Android and more.

What you need to know

Currently, Xbox Cloud Gaming only supports games in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but that will change in November 2024.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is finally getting the ability to purchase games outside of Game Pass, as confirmed in a thread by Xbox President Sarah Bond.
However, you won’t get access to your entire Xbox digital console game library right away, as the rollout is scheduled to occur gradually over the coming weeks and months.

Finally it happened. The long-awaited launch of buy-to-own Xbox games in the cloud is coming in November 2024 (next month!), but there are some details worth knowing.

Back in 2019, Microsoft announced its long-term vision for Xbox cloud gaming when it set out the goal of bringing its entire Xbox games catalog to the cloud. We’ve been waiting ever since incredible It’s been a long time coming to confirm the program’s launch window, and Xbox President Sarah Bond posted in a thread just yesterday that the plan is finally being implemented. However, some details are still missing from the equation.

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So what’s going on with Xbox cloud gaming?

In the thread above, Sarah Bond applauded the US courts for their decision in a recent case, Google vs. Epic, which forced Google to open its app platform to third-party stores and goods sales. Google Play’s policies prevent platforms from selling content directly through their own apps, which is why, for example, you can no longer buy Kindle books directly from the Kindle app on Android. However, thanks to this US court ruling, that is now likely to change.

For Xbox, that means Microsoft can start selling Xbox games directly through its shiny new Xbox Android app in the US. And while it appears that Google has grappled with similar EU legislation on the issue, it probably won’t be long before things fall down here too. Currently, you can only play Xbox Game Pass Ultimate games on Xbox Cloud Gaming. But starting next month, you’ll also be able to create your own cloud library of games from the Xbox Store.

RELATED: Complete list of Xbox Game Pass games

In fact, one of the main questions I’ve had so far about this new feature has been “What about iOS?” What about outside the United States?”

Will Xbox Cloud Gaming Buy to Own be available on iOS, PC, or outside the US?

Best Devices for Xbox Cloud Gaming

First off: Yes, our sources suggest that Android will be the only Xbox app version to have this new feature in the United States, at least initially. Apple’s app platform is still (inexplicably) locked down, so don’t expect that on iOS. And Google could even overturn the previous decision in the appeal process. Google may even find an arbitrary, small-print way to remove the Xbox app from the Google Play Store, like Google did when it revoked the API keys of the YouTube Windows Phone app.

Yes, you also need Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to access your cloud games – maintaining that server infrastructure isn’t cheap. But what if you don’t have an Android device?

It seems that Microsoft plans to provide these features Xbox.com/play also online. Even if Google somehow sabotages this feature or you’re unlucky enough to own an iPhone, you should still be able to access your Xbox games via the web version. Additionally, the Xbox app on Amazon Fire Stick 4K devices ($29.99 at Amazon) and Samsung TVs that support Xbox Cloud Gaming are already based on the site, so this functionality should also roll out around the same time. It’s likely that the Xbox app on PC will get this functionality as well, of course.

In which regions will Xbox Cloud Gaming Bring Your Own Games be available?

It seems that additionally While Android is the only version to offer this functionality natively in the United States, the ability to play your own games via the cloud is being expanded more broadly to other Xbox Cloud Gaming markets at Xbox.com/play. However, the exact timeline for this is unclear. It could be that Microsoft starts with the United States and then expands to other markets over time.

You can check if your region supports Xbox Cloud Gaming via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by visiting xbox.com/regions. The current region list is as follows:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden , Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Will Xbox Cloud Gaming support ALL my games from day one?

There are currently a variety of ways to access Xbox Cloud Gaming, including the Razer Kishi Ultra, pictured here. Modern Samsung TVs have Xbox Cloud Gaming built in, and Amazon’s Fire Stick platform has also adopted Xbox Cloud Gaming. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)

Another important point is that Xbox Cloud Gaming even exists in the USA does not support your entire game library at launch. One reason for this is that some publishers are simply opting out because they may have exclusive contracts with other services or perhaps want to build their own cloud platforms in the future. Another reason is more technical in nature. Xbox’s cloud servers are based on Xbox hardware and stream installations of cloud titles intermittently as needed. I’ve been told in the past that queues occurring in Xbox Cloud Gaming are sometimes due to the server node pulling the game down from network storage if it hasn’t been used by another player on that node recently.

Previously, about 300 games were expected to be available on Xbox’s cloud servers due to Xbox Game Pass, but now the plan is to expand that catalog to thousands upon thousands of titles. That’s potentially terabytes of additional network storage required, so I think the rollout of the existing Xbox Cloud Gaming library will happen in batches. This may be similar to the way NVIDIA GeForce Now announces that new games from Steam will be added to its service as the company cuts contracts with license holders and expands its own storage capacity.

Yes, even if the rollout doesn’t give you instant access to your entire library at launch, it’s still an important step into the future where you can access all of your Xbox games anywhere, anytime.

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A future in the Xbox cloud

Razer Kishi Ultra

All your content, saved files and friends lists, anywhere, at the same time. That’s the idea behind Xbox Cloud Gaming. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)

In a universe where platform holders are trying to figure out where the next wave of growth will come from, cloud gaming seems like a promising option. Gamers are increasingly cloud-based and digitalized as physical media sales decline alongside the popularity of digital platforms like Steam and even iOS and Android. People today simply expect their content to be available when they switch between devices, and that is certainly the universe in which the next generation of potential consumers have grown up.

RELATED: Xbox Cloud Gaming Requirements and Setup

Xbox hopes to stay ahead in this emerging market, but significant challenges remain. Xbox cloud gaming and cloud gaming in general are very network dependent. Even if you have good bandwidth, you still need to make sure you’re using 5GHz Wi-Fi to get the best experience, or even Ethernet in some cases. Not everyone is ready or able to handle the demands of cloud gaming. Given that Microsoft is targeting people who are so casual that they don’t want to own a home console at allWhen you consider the technical complexity of optimizing your home network, there is certainly still a gap to be filled. Most enthusiasts already buy Xbox Series anyway

Even if the “cloud” becomes just another way for core users to access their Xbox content, I’m all for it. I’m not sure if Xbox cloud gaming will reach the new audience Xbox is hoping for, but technological advances in Wi-Fi and cellular networks could close the accessibility gap. It’s crucial that Microsoft has a foot in the door if it does indeed become more popular. And I would say they already have a pretty big foothold there. It would be a nice addition to save storage space on an Xbox handheld… that’s for sure.

What you need to know

So what’s going on with Xbox cloud gaming?

So what’s going on with Xbox cloud gaming?

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