Microsoft has made lots of announcements, ahead of its E3 media briefing on Sunday, around Xbox Game Pass and its cloud gaming efforts. The company said it’s working to put Xbox in TVs. It is working with TV manufacturers to embed the Xbox experience directly into TV with an internet connection; except for a controller, no extra hardware is required.
For cloud gaming, Xbox said it is building its own streaming devices “to reach gamers on any TV or monitor without the need for a console at all.” Microsoft did not share the detail of the devices, but it seems like a Chromecast-style dongle could be on the cards.
Microsoft said on Xbox Game Pass it is “exploring new subscription offerings… so more players around the world can experience the most immersive and fun games across devices, geographies, and financial realities”. Microsoft did not share details of the plan. Currently, the company offers Xbox Game Pass for PC for £7.99 a month, Microsoft offers Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for £10.99 a month, and Xbox Game Pass for a console for £7.99 a month.
The company is also working with telecommunication providers on purchasing new models like Xbox All Access which lets users buy a console and Game Pass for a monthly price rather than paying in advance. Microsoft also announced that cloud gaming on a browser would open to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in the next week.
Safari, Chrome, and Edge are the browsers set to be supported. The company also shared it in the final stages of updating its data centers with the Xbox series worldwide. This means gamers will experience Xbox Series X|S optimized games, improved frame rates, and faster load times.
Later this year, Microsoft will add cloud gaming directly into the Xbox app on PC and integrate it into the console to enable the likes of try before you download. Microsoft released new stats for Xbox Game Pass’s performance as part of its pre-E3 announcements.