In the realm of cloud gaming, Microsoft and Google remain locked in a battle for the top spot. Google's Stadia service has had a few hiccups recently, following the announcement of its studio closures, while Microsoft's xCloud continues to thrive.
Xbox owners will soon be able to make the best of both cloud services, however, following Microsoft Edge's update on the Xbox One/Series X.
Here's what the Edge browser could mean for Google Stadia and xCloud streaming.
Microsoft Edge browser beta test supports Stadia
Members of the Xbox Alpha Skip-Ahead group will now have access to the Chromium-powered version of Microsoft Edge on their Xbox One/Series X|S conosles, as reported by The Verge.
As a result, Xbox owners will be able to use the web-based version of Google Stadia to stream games from the service, direct to their Xbox. This can be done via the Stadia website, dependent on internet stability.
The feature is only available for the select group of testers at the moment, but we can expect the update to rollout across the Xbox ecosystem in the near future.
READ MORE: Xbox Series X component shortages may last until 2022
xCloud streaming on the Xbox
Currently, xCloud streaming is only available on Android devices. Support for PC and iOS devices is currently in development, expected to use a web-based solution to avoid the App Store rules that prevented Stadia and xCloud from running on Apple devices.
If this browser-based streaming releases, console owners may be able to use the Microsoft Edge browser to stream Xbox games direct to their console, without the need for downloading these titles.
This may come as a relief to Xbox Series S owners, growing ever worried about the console's 500GB storage.
Microsoft's xCloud streaming is currently available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers only.
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