Xbox cloud gaming already works on Windows 10 via workaround

Users have found a way to get Xbox cloud gaming, or Project xCloud, working on Windows. Officially, that feature is only available as a beta for Android. However, a test version of the streaming app, intended for Xbox devkits, also works on Windows 10.

Ars explains that a Microsoft Store link to the Spanish version of this test app must be run through a third-party parser. This parser finds out the various packages behind the Store page and users can download the actual ~220MB .appxbundle file from there, despite being intended for Xbox console devkits. This app can also be installed on Windows 10.

Once in the app, the offering id ‘XGPUBeta’ allows users to access the streaming service. You will automatically be prompted for that code. In addition to the code, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription is also required; the same applies to users who use the service on Android through the usual way. The workaround has been published here and there in recent months, but has not received much attention until now.

Microsoft Xbox’s game streaming service, formerly called Project Xcloud and now simply cloud gaming, is officially on its way to more platforms. For example, Apple’s iOS should be supported this spring, as well as browsers in a more general sense. Windows 10 support will also follow, but no date or time period has yet been noted. The service offers more than a hundred games for the price of an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which is 12.99 euros. The servers run on Xbox One S hardware and offer 1080p streams in the aforementioned app.

Image via Ars Technica