Xbox Gamers May Finally Get to Stream the Games They Own This Year

Back in November 2019, Microsoft promised at the beginning of the “Project xCloud” public preview that Xbox gamers would soon be able to use what is now called Xbox Cloud Gaming to stream the games they own. Despite Microsoft reiterating the same promise in 2022, it has yet to materialize.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently one of the perks of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which costs 16.99/month in the US. Members can stream over a hundred games on Xbox consoles, mobile devices (with some games supporting touch controls), the web, and smart TVs. Microsoft also allows everyone to stream the free-to-play game Fortnite without a subscription.

As of today, the only way Xbox gamers can stream the games they own on other devices is via Xbox Remote Play. With this feature, gamers stream any game installed on their Xbox console to a PC, phone, or tablet, though streaming backward compatible Xbox 360 or OG Xbox games on iOS and Android isn’t currently supported.

But what about using Xbox Cloud Gaming to stream Xbox games you own on other devices, as the Xbox team promised several years ago? Well, Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming recently gave an update on that in a private conversation with another gamer on the Xbox network.

In the conversation shared by X user HazzadorGamin and verified by Windows Central, Spencer under his Xbox gamertag “P3” replied “Should be this year” when another gamer asked him when he would be able to play his own games on Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Phil Spencer says Owned Games to be playable on Xcloud in 2024

replies through Xbox chat, via @jhe007 pic.twitter.com/xnz3WgPJwi

— HazzadorGamin, Dragon of Dojima (@HazzadorGamin) February 18, 2024

It’s likely a lot of legal work for Microsoft to obtain the right licenses to deliver on its initial promise. When the Xbox team gave its last official update on that subject two years ago, it said that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members would only be able to stream “select games they already own” on Xbox Cloud Gaming.

If you’ve been using Microsoft’s game streaming service recently, you may have noticed that it often has capacity issues. It’s not unusual for Game Pass Ultimate members to be asked to wait several minutes before finally getting in. The recent launch of the surprise hit Palworld on Game Pass has likely contributed to increased wait times. Even though Microsoft is one of the biggest cloud services providers on the market, Xbox Cloud Gaming servers may well struggle to absorb a massive influx of users trying to stream their own games.