In 2020, Microsoft launched Xbox Cloud Gaming and allowed players to stream titles from the Xbox Game Pass library. But not every game was available on Game Pass, which put limits on which titles could be accessed. Now, Microsoft is reportedly planning to expand its streaming offerings to include games that aren’t a part of Xbox Game Pass, as long as they’re owned by the players themselves.
According to The Verge, Microsoft is planning to begin testing this new option on the Xbox Cloud Gaming servers with Xbox Insiders as soon as next month. The report notes that Microsoft has been building towards this moment for some time by upgrading the capabilities of Xbox Cloud Gaming to handle thousands of games. But the company has to be sure that those expanded capabilities will hold up under pressure before rolling them out to Game Pass subscribers.
Earlier this week, Xbox confirmed that as of November, players will be able buy or play Xbox games on Android via the Xbox app. And once the new streaming option becomes available, purchases on Android will immediately be available to stream no matter which devices players are using. As part of Epic Games’ lawsuit win over Google, Microsoft will be able to sidestep Google Play and avoid giving the company a cut of its sales.
Additionally, Microsoft is still planning to build its own Xbox mobile store app. That will initially focus on deals and in-game items before eventually including Microsoft’s first-party games.