Xbox Cloud Streaming Might Now Be A Requirement For Indie Developers

We laid eyes on a bunch of confidential documents last week as part of the Epic Games Vs. Apple court battle, and the latest document doing the rounds has appeared to reveal some interesting information about Xbox Cloud Gaming.

This 222-page confidential document - created in September 2020 - has reportedly been verified by The Verge, and appears to suggest that Microsoft now requires indie developers to support Xbox Cloud Gaming in order to publish on the platform, supposedly using "harsh language around the requirement" according to Epic.

"Elsewhere in the document, it’s also revealed that Microsoft has apparently been requiring indie devs to agree to xCloud game streaming support to publish on Xbox. 'Microsoft is using harsh language around the requirement,” claims Epic, noting that it’s “sign or be removed from Xbox.'"

It's no surprise that Microsoft wants indie developers to comply with xCloud - it's going to be a big part of the company's future - but Epic's partners have reportedly expressed concern about their EGS exclusivity agreements as a result.

Of course, Xbox Cloud Gaming doesn't currently support any games other than Xbox Game Pass titles, so assuming this requirement is true, it looks like Microsoft is gearing up to support a much wider library in the future.

The Verge says it has reached out to Microsoft for comment, so we'll update you if we hear anything.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know down in the comments section below.

[source theverge.com]