Xbox Cloud Gaming Comes To Xbox For Testers

An exciting new feature is now available on Xbox for testers in the form of cloud streaming, which means you no longer need to download a game to play it. With streaming, you can launch a game much faster, which could come in very handy when you're curious about a game and want to try it out but don't want to deal with a lengthy download process.

Microsoft is now testing cloud gaming on Xbox for a "random" group of participants in the Xbox Insider program who are enrolled in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings of the program. Microsoft will expand this to more users over time.

"Cloud gaming on your console reduces your time to the fun and allows you to quickly jump into online multiplayer sessions with your friends by letting you play Xbox Game Pass games without having to wait for an install," Microsoft said. "Plus, save space on your hard drive. To get started, navigate to Xbox Game Pass on your console and look for games with the cloud icon."

Players can find a list of supported games by setting their filter to "Cloud Gaming" from the Xbox Game Pass library. Then just hit "Play" and you're good to go--no install required.

Since this feature is currently still being tested, there are some known issues to be aware of. You can see a list of these issues, and workarounds where available, below.

Anyone can join the Xbox Insider program by downloading the Xbox Insider app from the Store and opting in to enroll in one of the testing rings to have a chance to preview upcoming updates. Joining the Xbox Insider program also gets you into this weekend's Halo Infinite beta test.

Known Issues

• Users may be unable to launch base games that are part of a bundle (Forza Horizon 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, etc.) with cloud gaming on console.
• In-game purchases are not supported when playing a game with cloud gaming on console.
  • Workaround: You can complete the purchase via the Store directly on console or via Xbox.com. You will need to quit the game and restart it for your purchases to appear.
• Insiders may see the same game appear twice in the MRU after choosing to install.
• Games previously installed on an external drive that is no longer connected to your console will fail to launch with cloud gaming.
• Some cloud gaming experiences may show in English only.