A New Challenger Appears: How Microsoft’s Project xCloud Hopes to Defeat Google Stadia

Cloud computing is supposed to be the future of gaming. Nonetheless, that future seems pretty far off with each new story about frustrated Google Stadia users.

Google’s stumbles don’t mean cloud gaming is a bad idea, though. It just means someone needs to do it better. And that’s where Microsoft comes in.

The house that built Xbox has been working on a form of cloud gaming known as Project xCloud. They believe this new tech will knock Stadia out and establish itself as the undisputed king of the cloud.

Is this project the real deal, or is this just another “cloud” of false promises? Here’s the full breakdown of everything you need to know about Project xCloud.

What is Project xCloud?

Before you can understand Microsoft’s hopes to beat Google, you need to learn what Project xCloud actually is.

This is the current name for Microsft’s foray into cloud gaming. As with other cloud gaming services such as Stadia, this tech allows you to play powerful, high-tech games on smartphones and tablets. That’s because the devices aren’t directly playing the game: they are streaming the game from a computer server.

What, then, makes Project xCloud different? Microsoft’s goal is to allow you to play Xbox One games on your mobile devices. If they get this right, you could enjoy playing things like Halo: The Master Chief Collection no matter how far you are from your living room.

Specialized cloud tech

The basic idea of cloud gaming is not very new. To help distinguish from the competition and improve gamer experience, Microsoft is using special Azure cloud technology.

Without getting into too many technical details, Microsoft has adapted Azure to create a specialized server blade. It is uniquely suited to handle Xbox hardware and theoretically offers gamers an optimal experience.

However, cloud gaming is only as good as your internet connection. Only time will tell if Microsoft can overcome the kinds of latency problems that Stadia users are experiencing.