Major Xbox Game Pass Ultimate features can be obtained with additional upgrades

summary

  • Microsoft is reportedly planning major Xbox cloud gaming improvements.

  • The company is said to be working on 4K gaming support, in addition to expanding the list of non-Game Pass titles that can be streamed.

  • It is currently unclear when these upgrades are planned to arrive.

Microsoft is reportedly working on something major Xbox Cloud Gaming Upgrades, support for 4K streaming and playing more proprietary games among other innovations. Such improvements will help enhance the overall value proposition of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the highest level of Microsoft's subscription service and still the only way to access the company's cloud gaming platform.

Xbox Cloud Gaming was initially teased at E3 2018 as Project xCloud. A public preview version of the service launched in 2019, a year before the xCloud name was dropped in favor of the current moniker. Xbox Cloud Gaming becomes available to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in June 2021. The service has since received constant updates, expanding its capabilities and performance.

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According to a new report from Windows Central's Jez Corden, even more upgrades are now on the horizon. The insider claims that Microsoft is currently working on bringing support for 4K streaming and higher bitrates to its service. The company is also said to be looking to expand the list of non-Game Pass titles that can be played through Xbox Cloud Gaming. Support for streaming proprietary games was initially rolled out in December 2024.

Microsoft is improving the Xbox cloud gaming infrastructure

Additionally, Corden reports that Microsoft is working to improve the Xbox cloud gaming infrastructure. For that, it is understood that the company has started arranging more chip supply in the service. The move reflects the growing popularity of Xbox cloud gaming, prompting Microsoft to upgrade its server farms to meet consumer demand. For reference, the streaming service relies on custom Xbox Series X server blades, which run games on Series S profiles – an architectural decision to improve operational efficiency.

It is currently unclear when Microsoft plans to introduce these alleged upgrades. Based on the company's track record, it is likely that all these improvements will be rolled out to selected users first, then gradually expand their reach. Such an approach is guaranteed for all features such as 4K streaming, which require careful and gradual stress-testing of the Xbox cloud gaming infrastructure before its global launch. 4K gaming itself seems like a significant upgrade for the service, which has been limited to 1080p/60fps streaming since its Project xCloud days.

Improving Xbox cloud gaming is one way Microsoft is trying to drive Xbox Game Pass Ultimate growth. And while the company is naturally hoping to sell its top-tier subscriptions as much as possible, it's also rumored to be considering launching a cloud-only version of Xbox Game Pass from at least summer 2024.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play in a single purchase, making it one of the best value propositions in the Xbox ecosystem to date.

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