What resolution is Xbox Cloud Gaming?

If you are here, you definitely have some queries on the Xbox Cloud Gaming resolution. We'll break it down for you here.

Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) is a great service that allows you to play a wide selection of Xbox Game Pass-featured titles on the go; either on your smartphone, tablet, PC, or even Xbox console.

This is, without a doubt, the best time to jump into cloud gaming. But before you do so, you may want to know what resolution your game will be played in, as this could have a major impact on how it looks.

So, let's find out the resolution at which Xbox Cloud Gaming is streamed.

What resolution is Xbox Cloud Gaming?

Xbox Cloud Gaming streams at a 1080p resolution up to 60fps. However, if you are cloud gaming via an Xbox console, you can upscale the resolution to 4K. You won’t see games in true 4K, but much better than the standard 1080p.

1080p at 60fps looks fine on smaller-screen devices like smartphones or tablets. But if you are playing on your PC or Xbox, the visuals and the graphics are not very impressive.

Moreover, many xCloud users have reported that they are experiencing some graphical issues in fast gaming sequences or when the scenes are dark. It appears to be more pronounced on the web version of the service than on the Xbox Cloud Gaming app.

It seems the problem is largely due to the low bitrate of the data stream. The maximum bitrate is limited to 15 Mbit/s, which is not sufficient for an excellent viewing experience. Ideally, 20 Mbit/s is necessary for a 1080p at 60fps to be crystal clear.

As per a Microsoft support representative, the poor streaming quality will be resolved in the next major xCloud update. So, we can hope it will significantly improve the quality of streaming.

• Read more: Xbox Cloud Gaming no sound - How to fix xCloud sound issues on Android and iOS

Will Xbox Cloud Gaming support 4K?

While competing services like Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now are capable of streaming video games to players at up to 4K resolution at 60fps with support for high dynamic range (HDR), xCloud doesn’t even support 2K (1440p) streaming.

That said, it is inevitable that Xbox Cloud Gaming support 4K gaming eventually. It is definitely in Microsoft’s plans to offer 4K gaming at some point. In fact, a Microsoft support representative confirmed that "it will be possible to play the games in 4K with the evolution of the service."

So, it's just a question of when Microsoft will make the jump.