As of right now xCloud is still in its beta state, but that’s changing in the near future as Xbox Head Phil Spencer has now confirmed the launch window.
The confirmation was part of a broader segment of details about the future of gaming with Xbox, which includes xCloud and its launch window alongside things like Xbox Series X, changes to Game Pass and more.
Though xCloud is not the bulk of what Spencer had to talk about, it’s a big part of how games can be played with Xbox and its services going forward. And it’ll be out of beta this Fall.
The xCloud launch window will be in September
There are still a few unknowns here but Spencer has finally confirmed when xCloud will be out of beta.
In September xCloud will be available to users in a fully launched state. What’s more is that it will be available for free to anyone who already pays for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Which is $15 a month.
So if you already subscribe to the top tier of Game Pass you will get xCloud at no extra charge. Spencer does not mention however if xCloud will be available outside of this bundling. And if it is, what it will cost.
It’s entirely possible that when the launch happens in September, that it will be limited to the Game Pass Ultimate bundle for a time. Or a standalone xCloud package could be available simultaneously.
There’s also no specific day of release listed. All that’s been made clear is that it will be sometime in September.
You can still play with all your Xbox Live friends
As if there was any doubt. Because it’s been like this since xCloud launched in closed beta. But Spencer continues to assure players that they can still play with their friends on Xbox Live.
That means if you’re playing a round or two of something that’s available on xCloud and your friends are playing on their Xbox One, you can play together. If you wish. You’ll also be able to pick up where you left off should you have to pause your gaming sessions. Which is a huge bonus.
xCloud will also still only be available for tablets and phones come September. Earlier this year it was reported that xCloud was being internally tested on PCs. So there’s a chance that Microsoft will launch a PC-based version of it down the road.
If that happens though it won’t be until later.