Microsoft has officially started its in-browser xCloud streaming and a couple of screenshots of the UI surfaced online on Monday. Microsoft is apparently testing the user interface just ahead of releasing a public preview of a version of xCloud that can be used on mobile devices as well as PCs.

Project xCloud was first announced back in 2018, and has slowly been making its way to various platforms. The service is intended to eventually allow users to play Xbox games on whatever platform they choose. Last year the service briefly made the jump to iOS devices after first landing on Android mobile phones and tablets. Microsoft had to pull back on its rollout on iPhones and iPad after Apple changed its developer agreements with developers so that the Cupertino company would automatically get a percentage of any revenues derived from applications like Google Stadia and xCloud.

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The Verge reports that some insiders have shared a few details with the site including that the in-browser xCloud version includes a simple launcher with recommendations for games. The service will have similar features to what users can get on an Xbox console, including the ability to resume previously played games. The browser interface also allows users to get access to any games that are on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a service critics have called a ridiculous value.

The test version of xCloud service runs in full screen on computers and needs players to pair an Xbox controller to their PC. The Verge said it wasn't immediately clear what resolution Microsoft is streaming games. The service is currently using Xbox One S server blades for the current infrastructure. Any kind of full 4K resolution won't be supported until the streaming service is backed by Xbox Series X components, a move that isn't expected to occur until sometime in 2022.

Microsoft is planning on bundling the xCloud service directly into the Windows 10 operating system. At the moment, it appears it only works on Chromium browsers such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, which is also the case with the top competitor to xCloud in Google Stadia. It's thought that the level of internal testing indicates a public preview release isn't that far off.

The drive behind Microsoft moving towards an all-web version is the same as Stadia's. The company wants to be able to launch its xCloud service through the Chrome browser on Apple devices, a workaround Google already took advantage of late last summer.

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Source: The Verge