Gaming on Xbox or PC: why not both?
Microsoft has made playing Xbox games very easy. All you need to play Xbox games is a controller and… a PC.
The idea of an Xbox couldn’t be simpler. A small, targeted game station for your favorite games. PC gamers will then laugh at you squarely. If you don’t have a giga RTX 3080 game setup, what are you doing it for? Yet Microsoft invests enormously in console gaming with Xbox because it is immensely popular.
Xbox on PC
We just mentioned that you usually have a choice: either a great game setup for your PC or an Xbox. Microsoft now seems to be catering to both. You can now play Xbox on your PC. At least, that was already possible. xCloud is the Microsoft counterpart of Stadia. Microsoft is now making gaming with xCloud a bit better and more accessible.
xCloud with Xbox app
It’s pretty simple: make sure you have three things: a Windows 10 PC (for Xbox gaming, it sounds bizarre), an Xbox controller (wired or wireless is allowed) and Xbox Game Pass. Then grab the Xbox app on your PC and choose cloud gaming. Grab your favorite game and the rest will take care of itself. Your game is not run from a device, but streamed via the servers.
The undersigned brings you this news from a Windows PC so it wouldn’t hurt to try it out. The disadvantage (a disadvantage of cloud gaming anyway) is the internet. Wired internet is impossible in my room so WiFi should suffice, but for cloud gaming, wired internet is almost a plus. When the image cooperates for a while, the above image quality (quite grainy) is the best you get. In that regard, it’s better to just use an Xbox for Xbox games, and not a PC.
Stream Xbox
The latter is also something that is integrated in the Xbox app: streaming via your Xbox. This way you can use your device, in this case a PC, as a screen for your Xbox while you can be anywhere in the world. Your Xbox then does the work and your device only has to take on the noble task of displaying. The disadvantage is that your Xbox is switched on and consumes power, and the internet is not always useful here too.
Is ‘wireless gaming’ the future? The new Xbox app on PC makes it very easy. Something to keep an eye on.
