Microsoft Project xCloud (Game Streaming), now offering Fortnite free without GPU membership

iOS limited flight announced...

To comply with App Store policies, the preview experience on iOS may look and feel different for those who have been testing on Android. Key differences and things to know:

  • The iOS TestFlight preview is only available in the US, UK, and Canada at this time.
  • Unlike the Xbox Game Streaming (Preview) app on Android, this iOS TestFlight preview is for Project xCloud only and does not include Xbox Console Streaming (Preview) at this time.
  • Due to App Store policy, the iOS TestFlight preview will begin with one game, “Halo: The Master Chief Collection.”
  • As is standard with iOS TestFlight builds, we’re starting with a very limited preview audience. Up to 10,000 testers will be invited into the preview, but we anticipate that demand will exceed our capacity and we will be unable to accommodate all applicants. We’ll distribute invitations to participate on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Because of how iOS TestFlight works, those who are accepted into the iOS TestFlight preview may not necessarily participate for the full duration of the preview. As noted earlier, there are limited spaces available, so for testing purposes we may need to cycle through registrants in order to best utilize the available testing audience. This also means that even if you miss out on the initial allocation, you might receive an invitation to participate later in the preview!
In order to participate in the Project xCloud limited iOS TestFlight preview, here are the technical requirements:

  • A Microsoft account (MSA) associated with your Xbox gamertag.
  • An iPhone or iPad running iOS 13.0 or greater and also Bluetooth version 4.0.
  • A Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One Wireless Controller. Please refer to this support article if you are unsure if your Xbox One controller supports Bluetooth.
  • Access to a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection that supports 10Mbps-down bandwidth, similar to streaming video. If you are using Wi-Fi, we recommend using a 5Ghz connection.
  • Optional but recommended: a third-party controller mount for phone-based gamers, available at 11 Street and other retailers.
Here’s how you can register to participate in the Project xCloud limited iOS TestFlight preview:

For those iOS users already registered in the Android preview.

  1. Open the Project xCloud registration link
  2. Update your registration for the Project xCloud (Preview) and indicate you are an iOS user through the “Mobile Device Make” dropdown menu
    1. By updating your registration to iOS you are requesting access to Project xCloud TestFlight preview. This does not impact your Android registration. You can still play on your Android devices
  3. If there are still available spots for testers, you will receive an email from TestFlight for Xbox Game Streaming (Preview)
    1. Open this mail from your iOS device, it contains a link to download TestFlight to your iOS device
  4. Follow the TestFlight installation steps
  5. From the TestFlight app, install the Xbox Game Streaming (Preview) app
  6. Sign-in to the Xbox Game Streaming (Preview) app with your MSA
  7. Have fun and give feedback!
For those iOS users not already registered in the Android preview.

  1. Open the Project xCloud registration link
  2. Register for the Project xCloud (Preview) and indicate you are an iOS user through the “Mobile Device Make” dropdown menu
    1. By selecting iOS you are requesting access to Project xCloud TestFlight preview.
  3. If there are still available spots for testers, you will receive an email from TestFlight for Xbox Game Streaming (Preview)
    1. Open this mail from your iOS device, it contains a link to download TestFlight to your iOS device
  4. Follow the TestFlight installation steps
  5. From the TestFlight app, install the Xbox Game Streaming (Preview) app
  6. Sign-in to the Xbox Game Streaming (Preview) app with your MSA
  7. Have fun and give feedback!
Click to expand...

https://majornelson.com/2020/02/12/project-xcloud-limited-ios-testflight-preview-begins-today/

Tommy McClain
 
Don't know if this is even possible but hear me out...

XBSX + DirectML = hardware accelerated Project xCloud = better image quality?

Tommy McClain
 
Malo said:
What is it learning to do that provides better image quality?
Click to expand...

Maybe the thought process is using DirectML to train using inputs of Native 4K / 8K graphics compared to 720p - 1080p graphics, then use the training results on client-side to adjust the xCloud streams of 720p - 1080p to output better image quality 4K / 8K without the network bandwidth cost of streaming 4K / 8K?
 
Malo said:
What is it learning to do that provides better image quality?
Click to expand...

No idea. I saw the DirectML stuff increasing fidelity & thought maybe the developer would have something local that would increase fidelity over what base streaming would show. Any device that can play video can be a xCloud device, but any XBSX device with hardware DirectML support can turn up the IQ up to 11.

Tommy McClain
 
BRiT said:
Maybe the thought process is using DirectML to train using inputs of Native 4K / 8K graphics compared to 720p - 1080p graphics, then use the training results on client-side to adjust the xCloud streams of 720p - 1080p to output better image quality 4K / 8K without the network bandwidth cost of streaming 4K / 8K?
Click to expand...

Yes, that!

Tommy McClain
 
New discovery feature released on Android app...

When you open up the Xbox Game Streaming preview app, you’ll see a set of trailers for five different games you can swipe through at your leisure. As you watch the trailer, the game will load in the background and if a particular game catches your eye, you can jump in and play or keep searching for something else.

We’ll continue to mix in new trailers to keep things fresh and to help you try something new.
Click to expand...

https://majornelson.com/2020/03/09/...enabling-you-to-discover-and-play-more-games/

Tommy McClain
 
Tidbits...
  • Over 100,000 feedback messages from Insiders. 20% is just people telling the team how much they enjoy the service.
  • At least 3/4 of the people play more games than before using the service. And not just on xCloud but across the Xbox ecosystem.
  • People are playing games in more places: work, while deployed in the military, etc.
  • In the last couple of weeks they encountered games that are being played more on xCloud than on console.
  • Making games more cloud aware.
  • Developers in Japan have showed interest in making content specifically for xCloud.
  • Ninja Theory is making touch controls for Hellblade.
  • Working with Rare & Coalition to make games better on the xCloud.
  • Over 90 titles with Yakuza 0 now included.

Tommy McClain
 
BRiT said:
Maybe the thought process is using DirectML to train using inputs of Native 4K / 8K graphics compared to 720p - 1080p graphics, then use the training results on client-side to adjust the xCloud streams of 720p - 1080p to output better image quality 4K / 8K without the network bandwidth cost of streaming 4K / 8K?
Click to expand...
This would be a very interesting set of challenges, on the face of it you have two processes, a DLSS equivalent and also some filter to the decompressed video similar to modern TVs.

The issue I see is a DLSS process will have a much harder time working with and especially from a compressed stream.

Could you do this work at the cloud side and send the results as some meta data or secondary video stream? the client uses to process the image to reduce the amplification of compression artifacts or defects.

This would be similar to project Kahawai but with an up scaling twist not a detail improving fucus.

https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/...ing-better-visuals-to-xbox-one-mobile-devices
 
iroboto said:
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1241263239666831360

Well there it is the official? Blade
Click to expand...

Pretty sure they have shown it off before, they are one S blades in use atm.

Anaconda does 4 instances of Xbox One S when then put that to the cloud apparently, and looking at the modular mobo with IO on a separate board that should allow for quite dense blades.
I would say if you consider the airflow in that blade that is exactly how Series X works, I would say the hardware is very much co developed for the data centre where there is sensible overlap.

Edit:
Perhaps it was just an animation they showed. If you watch this you can see they layout is identical to what you see above. Very cool to see, would be a dream project to work on I think.

 
The XSX main motherboard seems really well suited for squeezing a few into an Azure shelf.

In general with Xcloud, have they talked about how they handled storage? Games are presumably on a more central repository in the server centre and are sent to instances?
 
Last edited:
While I have 0 personal interest in cloud gaming for the foreseeable future, for MS being able to use the same silicon to power the service is a great move. It reduces the budget on the developers for testing and different branches. For MS, it gives them more economies of scale when buying.
 
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