Xbox cloud streaming expands beyond Game Pass to games you own

Microsoft is starting to open up Xbox Cloud Gaming to existing Xbox game libraries today. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now stream 50 games that they already own, including Balatro, Baldur’s Gate 3, a variety of Final Fantasy titles, and Hogwarts Legacy.

The expansion to 50 more games is just the beginning of opening up the Xbox game library to cloud streaming. “Our library of cloud-playable titles will continue to grow, as we work with our partners around the world to bring you a diverse and expansive selection of great games across devices,” says Ashley McKissick, corporate vice president of Xbox Experiences and platforms engineering.

The 50 additional games will be available through TVs, smartphones, tablets, and PCs through a web browser. Microsoft is also planning to bring Xbox library streaming to Xbox consoles and the Xbox app on Windows next year.

This expansion is part of a long-running project known as Project Lapland inside of Microsoft. I revealed last month that Microsoft was planning to start letting Xbox Insiders get access to more games on Xbox Cloud Gaming in November, and these initial 50 games are the start of eventually expanding this to thousands of Xbox games to cover entire libraries.

The original Project xCloud was supposed to launch with game library streaming in 2020, but it never did, and Microsoft then announced it would support game libraries on Xbox Cloud Gaming in 2022. That never happened either, and I reported last month that the work to make this a reality has been complicated. Microsoft has to ready thousands of games on its custom Xbox cloud servers while balancing save files, game updates, and much more.

While thousands of games will eventually be available through Xbox Cloud Gaming, I’m told some publishers will hold certain games back due to licensing requirements or deals.

Microsoft was also planning to enable game purchases in its Xbox mobile app for Android in the US in November, thanks to a court ruling last month that forces Google to stop requiring Google Play Billing for apps in the Play Store. Google won a temporary administrative stay on this ruling late last month, so it’s no longer clear when Microsoft will be able to enable game purchases in its Xbox mobile app on Android.