Microsoft is moving Project xCloud into its next phase. The game-streaming technology will open up to a public test in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Korea in October. This is an important step in Microsoft’s efforts to launch game streaming as a product at some point in the future.
Project xCloud’s public preview will include a handful of Xbox games for testing. Using a phone or tablet, you can stream Halo 5: Guardians, Gears 5, Killer Instinct, or Sea of Thieves. Those games are free to use on xCloud through the duration of the test. As part of this preview, Microsoft is looking for data and feedback about xCloud’s performance. The idea is to move beyond internal testing at Microsoft to see how xCloud performs in a wider variety of circumstances.
“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,” writes Project xCloud boss Kareem Choudry in a blog post. “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.”
Project xCloud public test registration is open
You can sign up to participate in the test today. Microsoft has a registration site in English for the U.S. and U.K. And it has a separate Korean site for South Korea.
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Invites should begin rolling into inboxes in a few weeks. Microsoft is planning a tiered entry. That means a small group will get in first, and then more invites will go out over time.
Finally, if you want to join in the test, you will need to meet a few requirements. The preview is going to work on Android 6.0-or-higher phones and tablets with Bluetooth 4.0. You’ll also need a Microsoft account and a Bluetooth-capable Xbox One controller.
And then you’ll need the Microsoft Game Streaming app, which is going to hit Android’s Google Play app market soon. Anyone can download it, but it’ll only work if you get an official invite.
