Microsoft is releasing a new Xbox app for Android that includes the ability to remotely play Xbox games streamed directly from your console. The Xbox remote play feature, known previously as Console Streaming, lets you remotely connect to an Xbox One console and play games you’ve already downloaded to it.
This is different from Microsoft’s xCloud service, as anyone with an Android phone can now stream all of their games directly from their own Xbox One console. xCloud currently only works with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate titles, and games are streamed from Microsoft’s cloud servers instead.
Alongside the game streaming addition, the Xbox app for Android has also been updated with a new design that’s clearly tied in with the new dashboard changes coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X / S. The next-gen Xbox consoles come with an updated controller that includes a new share button, and this updated Xbox app is designed to complement that. The app will let you know once a capture is done and uploaded, and you can then share it quickly to social media networks like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and more.
This new Xbox app is also designed to make it easier to set up an Xbox Series X or S console in November. You can use the mobile app to configure settings, all while a console downloads its relevant updates. The app will also support the ability to install any games to your home console, manage a game library, and free up storage space, or simply use it as a remote control to navigate an Xbox console.
The growing shift to console game streaming will in time allow gamers that may not necessarily be able to afford consoles to simply subscribe to a service, like a ‘Netflix for gaming’ and game whenever they want. This is a win-win for gamers and developers alike as it would mean subscriber revenue for the devs and ease of access for gamers. On top of all this, it will lead to more people being able to play against each-other live! No longer limited to having access to a console.
