The Xbox app for Windows 10 has received some new functionality today including the ability to make use of Xbox Cloud Gaming.
This doesn’t mean that Xbox Cloud Gaming is available in more countries however, simply that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in the 22 countries the service is available in can now opt to play games on PC.
The other update is for Remote Play.
“Xbox Remote Play lets you play games from your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or any generation of Xbox One on your Windows 10 PC over the internet – from your home network or away! It’s essentially a way to mirror your console gaming experience on another screen: Browse and play your full gaming catalog, change Settings, interact with your friends – your games are all there. Starting today, you can access Xbox Remote Play feature within the Xbox App on Windows 10 PCs,” Microsoft explained.
While Xbox Cloud Gaming isn’t available locally the addition of Remote Play is great if you happen to have an Xbox Series X or Series S and want to play games on your PC rather than your console, for whatever reason.
While Microsoft says that you can use Remote Play over the internet, our experience with similar products such as Steam Link for Steam implores us to recommend sticking with streaming on the same network as your Xbox. While remote play over the internet is indeed possible, here in South Africa the experience will leave you wanting.
Microsoft has made no announcements regarding availability of Xbox Cloud Gaming locally or in a wider number of countries and given the amount of infrastructure needed, we wouldn’t hold our breathe as regards a local release.
