NEWS: Project xCloud Public Preview

Our vision for Project xCloud is to empower the gamers of the world to play the games they want, with the people they want, anywhere they want. We’re building this technology so gamers can decide when and how they play. Customers around the world love the immersive content from Xbox in their homes and we want to bring that experience to all of your mobile devices.

Since announcing Project xCloud just under a year ago, we’ve been on a journey to create, develop, and prepare the technology for gamers. A big step for us was opening up the program to Microsoft employees – since then I’ve enjoyed seeing people’s excitement and hearing the stories of how they play. At home, I’ve been using Project xCloud to play Sea of Thieves with my kids while they’re playing on the console and PC. Around the office, I’ve seen our team having an amazing time playing Halo 5: Guardians tournaments and Gears 5 campaign on nothing more than a phone or tablet. We saw the same joy of gaming as we shared the experience with fans at E3 and gamescom, and now we’re ready for what’s next.

Today we’re inviting the community to take the next step with us and join the Project xCloud (Preview), coming this October to the United States, United Kingdom and Korea.

Public preview is a critical phase in our multi-year ambition to deliver game streaming globally at the scale and quality of experience that the gaming community deserves and expects. It’s time to put Project xCloud to the test in a broader capacity, with a range of gamers, devices, network environments and real-world use-case scenarios, and this is where you come in. At Xbox, we’ve made it a priority to engage with all of you to help in the creation process. We now want you to play with us and share your feedback on Project xCloud so we can iterate and improve, week after week. Join us, have fun playing, share your stories and feedback, and be part of the journey.

Here’s what to expect from the Project xCloud public preview and how you can register to
participate:

Register for Project xCloud Review:  HERE

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• If you’re in the US and UK, you can sign up to register today here, and if you’re in Korea, you can register here. We’ll begin to send invites in the coming weeks. With a goal of learning and improving quickly, we’re taking a phased approach to our public preview, starting with a small number of participants to get initial feedback, then opening it up to more and more gamers. If you don’t receive an invite right away, there will be other opportunities; we’ll continue to open up more spots over time.
• Xbox launched with Halo, and so will the Project xCloud public preview. It will begin with Halo 5: Guardians, the all-new Gears 5, a fantastic fast-twitch fighter Killer Instinct, and the online adventure Sea of Thieves. This is just the beginning as our content library will continue to grow as the preview progresses.
• There are a few requirements to participate in the Project xCloud preview. You’ll need a phone or tablet running Android 6.0 or higher with Bluetooth 4.0; a Microsoft account; a Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One Wireless Controller; and while not required, we recommend a phone mount for your controller. Project xCloud runs on Wi-Fi and mobile networks in your area.
• You will be able to access content through our all-new Microsoft Game Streaming app, available in the coming weeks for Android devices. It’ll be available for all to download, but you’ll only be able to sign in once you’ve received an official invite into the preview.
• Mobile networks are an important part of global connectivity today, so we’ll work hard to ensure that gamers have a great experience and Project xCloud is optimized for the widest range of network configurations possible. Earlier this month, we announced a partnership with SK Telecom to deliver Project xCloud to gamers in Korea. We’re also working with T-Mobile in the US and Vodafone in the UK during the preview to learn more about the way gamers play on mobile networks; these are technical partnerships that will help us optimize the experience, but gamers across all carriers are eligible to participate in the preview.

This is just the beginning. We’ll continue to improve, innovate, invite more of you in, add more content, and do it with the community in an open and transparent way. We can’t wait to hear your stories and share more at X019!

Project xCloud Preview FAQ

Q: How do gamers sign up for the Project xCloud trial?

A: Those in the United States and the United Kingdom who want to participate in the Project xCloud preview can sign-up here and if you’re in Korea, you can register here. You’ll complete an online registration form, which requests details such as your postal code, the make and model of your mobile device and your mobile network carrier. We’ll begin to send invites as we approach the October start date.

Q: If I register, when can I expect to be accepted into the Project xCloud preview?

A: During the preview, we will roll out invites to a limited number of participants and slowly increase the number of invitees over time. We ask for your patience while we expand availability.

Q: Will everyone make it into the preview?

A: We anticipate that demand will exceed our capacity during the preview period and that we will be unable to accommodate all applicants. However, it is our intention to accommodate as many eligible players as possible and we’ll continue to invite more gamers into the preview over time.

Q: Do I need to buy or own games for the Project xCloud Preview?

A: No. For the Project xCloud Preview, you do not need to buy or own any content. You will stream it directly from the cloud, which includes access to the list of games available during the preview period.

Q: Will you continue to add games throughout the preview?

A: Yes, we’ll add more content to the preview over time as we continue to analyze a wide range of player preferences, habits and scenarios.

Q: How long will the preview last?

A: The preview will continue until customers are consistently reporting a great, fun experience and the technology meets our internal quality standards. As is typical of our preview programs, we plan to begin with focused groups in the early stages for stability purposes and then to expand over time.

Q: Can I only participate in the Project xCloud preview if I have a contract with one of your partner carriers?

A: Gamers in the US and UK are eligible to participate in the Project xCloud preview regardless of carrier. In Korea, we’ll start the preview with a small number of SK Telecom customers and invite gamers from all carriers as we grow the preview.

For any additional questions, please visit Xbox.com/xbox-game-streaming.