As Microsoft continues moving forward with Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Stadia is being dialed back, it’s safe to say the console maker is taking a closer look at exactly what Google is doing with its streaming service. As 2021 moves forward, the two companies are moving in opposite directions in the eyes of many gamers. The question that many will ask, with cloud gaming still effectively in its infancy, is which company is taking the right approach to the new technology?
Xbox Cloud Gaming has made it clear its going to expand in 2021. The goal for this year is to continue improving the platforms Cloud Gaming is already playable on, while expanding to new ones. After briefly appearing on iOS and then having to step back, Microsoft wants to get there again. The company believes it’s found a way to do that while working around Apple’s restrictions. Apple intended to charge fees for allowing the Cloud Gaming app to operate on iPhone/iPad. Microsoft apparently found a workaround that will bring the Xbox Cloud Gaming app to iOS devices in the near future. Cloud Gaming is also planning a browser-based PC option as well.
Oddly, Microsoft was beaten to the punch on that particular workaround by Google. Stadia never had an operative app on iOS where people could play their games, though users could buy games and check out their libraries on the app. This summer, users were finally able to play games through the Chrome browser on their mobile devices. That is, after all, the same way players can access their Stadia account on their PCs. While both companies are finding similar ways to get around Apple’s billing policies, it might make the pair seem synergistic in their approach, but they are very clearly business rivals.
One move that points out just how much the rivalry has risen to the forefront in the cloud streaming world is Microsoft’s big purchase last year, and the effect it had on Google. Over the summer, Phil Spencer spearheaded the acquisition of ZeniMax/Bethesda for Xbox. Google’s Phil Harrison recently made no secret of the fact that the purchase played into the outlook of Stadia. In fact, according to Harrison, it was a major contributor to the decision to shut down Stadia’s first-party studios and development efforts.
While Google is apparently rebalancing its approach with its game streaming service, Microsoft appears to be moving ahead with Xbox Cloud Gaming. Last week, the new browser UI for the PC version of Xbox GamePass Cloud Gaming surfaced online. More than a few analysts believe these images showcasing the user interface is a sign that Microsoft is getting closer to offering an official preview, and advanced testing for the general public. From there, Xbox Cloud Gaming may eventually evolve into an official tiered offering from Microsoft as it continues to expand.
It’s clear that Google is currently scaling back first-party efforts, even if the executives for Stadia were singing its praises just days before the development studio was closed down. The company isn’t shutting down its streaming game service. Those same execs are still talking about rolling out several games for the platform in the next few months, mainly from third-party partnerships. Meanwhile, Microsoft continues to follow the same roadmap it laid out back in 2018. For now, it’s not entirely clear whether the approach from Xbox Cloud Gaming or Stadia will work the best in the long run.
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