Apple Devices Now Support The Xbox Series X Wireless Controller

Has anyone got the iOS XCloud invite? Thoughts? Seen mixed things online.

@The_New_Butler That's frustrating! I have iOS devices but really want to check it out on Microsoft Surface more than anything else. Especially after Phil's tease shots from the airport. I think that's a more real use case for me.

@The_New_Butler Mostly superfluous indeed! However one thing I like about MS's approach is that streaming isn't the only route, it is additive, we can stream a game instantly to try it or continue when away from our main devices. It's not the main show (for us hardcore gamers anyway)

That's my hope for Surface, not powerful enough to run a AAA game really well but a stunning 12" > 1440p screen for continuing gaming when away from the xbox.

@The_New_Butler 100% agreed. Messaging is key and MS are nailing it. From my experience and reading the room Stadia is actually the best streaming product right now on a purely technical level. It seemingly works well for more people than Luna, xCloud or PS Now etc. BUT their messaging, business model and lack of games I want to play (notably exclusives) make it an absolute non-starter.

I think streaming has the potential to be HUGE for the masses (if they can get it to work well enough) but I think us enthusiasts are always going to want the latest tech which streaming, with all it's reliance on other factors like internet infrastructure, just can't keep up with.

Right now most game streams are 720-1080p (at a lower bitrate) @ 30-60fps compared to 1080p - native 4k @ 60-120fps. When streaming catches up we'll be wanting 8k etc. etc. It's fine as a stopgap but not a whole replacement.

Bravo Microsoft.

@jarvismp I've seen this reported from many places. Two friends on Android have been trying out Stadia and xCloud and just get relatively poor performance on xCloud. Still early days but it's interesting.

We all have different levels of expectation and allowance for this. It varies from game to game but also person to person.
Some people notice and are annoyed by anything less than an absolutely perfect 60fps+ with no dips, others are fine with GTA V/CyberPunk levels of 15-30fps.

It will be interesting to see how the non-enthusiast masses feel about this and if they can get it to work in due course.

@The_New_Butler "...any talk of consoles going away soon is totally misguided." & "MS have learned the hard way that you need to cater to your hardcore crowd first and bring in everyone else on top of that."

1000% agreed. I just hope the reality of streaming doesn't become so all encompassing that we get held pack and left behind. (a LONG way off, if at all)

@jarvismp Yeah my experience with Stadia, on a technical level, was excellent too. I can also fully understand Switch being less played. Since lockdown mine has mostly been gathering dust, as it's main USP "gaming on the go" has been virtually nullified.

Back to streaming: the tech worked fine a decade ago when I played Batman Arkham Knight on OnLive with better graphical fidelity, framerate and resolution than the console versions of the day (360 & PS3), so i'm not surprised.

However since then consoles have stepped up in all those areas considerably whereas internet infrastructure, though improved, hasn't moved at the same pace, particularly all important ping and consistency. Any dip taints the experience, there's no buffer to smooth out the dips unlike video streaming that knows what is coming. It's one of the reasons why streams are still mostly stuck at 720p-1080p for now, a considerable step down.

As discussed above I suspect this is why it isn't a replacement any time soon for us enthusiasts, but a perfect supporting service on top of what we already have and a HUGE potential gateway for those who don't want to pay £XXX for a console they barely use. Great value for the masses who likely don't even have, want or need a 4K tv.

@Blessed_Koz Very odd that it works great with a PS4 controller but not Series X and everyone's mileage seems to vary. I know people with uber-fast 250+Mbps cable connections that have issues and others with 12Mbps that don't.

These are the sort of baffling problems game streaming has to conquer. It often isn't just plug and play for many and just doesn't work well for some. When it does it's great though.

@SegataSanshiro That's great to hear. I've found all streaming to be very game dependant. A lot is based on perception. Being just a little off on a twitchy driver/shooter/fighting game is noticeable e.g. you miss a turn in Forza or a shot in gears, whereas being a little off on a slower arcadey game like Minecraft Dungeons is acceptable. Surprised by Ori though, it's controls are very precise. Bodes well

@SegataSanshiro That's great, but it's also the whole baffling weirdness of game streaming right now. It seems to work on some games and not others, and for some people and not others etc. Pot luck

@SegataSanshiro Indeed! the reality is most people plug in their provided router and never change settings beyond perhaps a password.

Any problems will have to come from providers through software firmware or updated hardware, most people don’t have the knowledge or inclination to fiddle with it for a fix.

IF game streaming takes off I can see it being on the list of things providers market, perhaps in partnership with MS etc. E.g. “Virgin Media the best place to stream xCloud, with our new optimised super-turbo-media box, three months free”