Xbox Insiders Unlock Cloud Streaming Feature for “Choose Your Adventure” Games on Consoles

Microsoft is expanding its cloud gaming portfolio by granting Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers the capability to stream a “select” number of their owned games to Xbox Series X/S or Xbox One consoles without needing to install them first. This feature is currently accessible to Xbox Insiders, with a broader rollout planned for later.

Microsoft has been promoting the ability to stream owned games since 2019, initially expected to launch with the Xbox Cloud Gaming service the following year. However, it missed that timeline by a considerable margin and subsequently did not meet its revised 2022 launch date. Ultimately, it took an additional two years for the feature to finally arrive, but since November of this year, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers have been able to stream their owned games—not just those available on Game Pass—to a limited range of platforms.

Initially, streaming games was only possible through TVs and web browsers on compatible devices such as tablets, smartphones, and Meta Quest headsets. At that time, Microsoft indicated it would extend this feature to Xbox consoles and the Xbox app on Windows, but not until the following year. Therefore, it comes as a pleasant surprise to see that, sooner than expected, the console rollout is now live—albeit currently just for Xbox Insiders.

Starting today, Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings can—provided they also hold an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription—test the ability to stream their owned games to Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles. Eligible users can begin exploring this feature by navigating to My games & apps > Full library > Owned Games on their console, then looking for (or filtering for) the cloud icon on compatible games. Afterward, it’s just a matter of selecting a game and choosing ‘Play with Cloud Gaming.’

However, the catalog of supported titles remains quite limited, with only around 50 games currently available. The good news is that it’s a fairly robust lineup, combining new and classic blockbuster titles with critically acclaimed indie games. Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Outlaws, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Warhammer 4K: Space Marine 2, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Balatro, Hades, Animal Well, Dredge, Phasmophobia, and The Fearless Squire are among the notable games featured—and Microsoft has previously committed to ensuring that its “library of cloud-playable titles will continue to expand as we collaborate with our partners worldwide.”

If you are not already part of the Xbox Insider Program, you may sign up by downloading the Xbox app.