Microsoft Allegedly Developing 4K Streaming for Xbox Cloud Gaming

There’s a buzz in the gaming world with Microsoft reportedly gearing up to enhance Xbox Cloud Gaming. For those with an Ultimate subscription, this could mean streaming your favorite Game Pass titles in 4K, enjoying PC game support, and experiencing improved bit rates, all set to be rolled out over time.

According to reports, Microsoft may introduce non-Game Pass games gradually to Xbox Cloud Gaming. The service itself has been hitting impressive usage milestones, especially in regions where Xbox Series X|S consoles are less prevalent. Windows Central reveals that Microsoft is dedicating more resources to match the growing demand. In their plan for upgrades, they’re contemplating adding 4K streaming capabilities and extending support to PC games.

Currently, Xbox Cloud Gaming caps out at 1080p resolution and up to 60 frames per second, depending on your internet speed. However, Jez Corden from Windows Central reports that Microsoft aspires to push this boundary to include 4K streaming soon. With higher bitrates also reportedly in the pipeline, these enhancements would perfectly complement 4K resolution support.

Last year saw a noteworthy update with the introduction of mouse and keyboard support for numerous Xbox Cloud Gaming titles on PC. There’s a strong possibility we might witness some PC-exclusive games making their debut on the service down the road.

Delving into the expansion of game availability, Corden notes that Microsoft intends to add more “buy-to-own Xbox cloud games” gradually. Back in November, they expanded Cloud Gaming support to 50 titles not included in the Game Pass lineup, which allows Ultimate subscribers to stream their purchased games. Although new titles haven’t been supported since then, Microsoft is reportedly planning to introduce more games through “semi-regular content drops” as they boost their network storage capacity.

Given these upcoming improvements, the potential for an Xbox handheld looks even more promising. Do you frequently use Xbox Cloud Gaming? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to share them with us in the comments!