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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gamers will be able to play anywhere with xCloud add-on

Don Reisinger
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Xbox chief Phil Spencer unveiled plans to combine Game Pass and Project xCloud for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members.

The feature, which will launch in September, will allow Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members who pay $15 a month for the Game Pass-Xbox Live Gold bundle to play Xbox Game Pass titles on their phones or tablets in addition to their consoles. It’ll be available at no additional cost.

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“Cloud gaming in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate means your games are no longer locked to the living room,” Spencer wrote. “And just like you do with the popular movie and music streaming services, when cloud gaming launches into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can continue your game wherever you left off on any of your devices.”

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Spencer also promised to clean up Xbox Live and let players take their games wherever they go. Although he didn’t provide too many details on Microsoft’s plan, Spencer said the company will tackle the ongoing problem of harassment on Xbox Live.

Microsoft will deploy “new technology to reduce hate speech and toxicity” across Xbox Live and make the service “safe, accessible, and welcoming” by improving its content policing, Spencer said in his post on Thursday. He added that Microsoft is “empowering creators of diverse backgrounds to develop new stories” and will push for “authentic and respectful representation in games.”

His comments come as the game industry reels from a growing number of harassment, racism, and sexual abuse complaints. Microsoft found itself in the midst of that controversy in May, when former employee Milan Lee recounted racism he experienced at Microsoft’s game-streaming service Mixer. “Racism will not be tolerated on our teams or on our services,” Spencer said in response to Lee’s comments. The two also spoke privately about Lee’s experience.

Spencer’s post also made several promises to players, including an expectation that games will “look and play best on Xbox Series X.” His comments appear to respond to concerned players questioning whether Xbox Series X games will look as good as they could when developers are also making Xbox One versions. Developers, they fear, will need to ensure their games work on older hardware, leaving an Xbox Series X game to look duller than PlayStation 5 alternatives.

Any new Microsoft Game Studios titles, including the upcoming Halo Infinite, will be developed for both the Xbox Series X and Xbox One for the next two years, Spencer said, seemingly casting aside those fears. All Xbox One accessories will also work on Xbox Series X and players can expect games from all four Xbox generations to be playable on the console.

“The future of gaming has never been more exciting and limitless,” Spencer said. “It’s a future you’ll explore on your terms, not constrained by restrictive policies.”

Microsoft will share more about Xbox Series X and its games at its Xbox Games Showcase on July 23. Spencer promised a “first look” at Halo Infinite‘s campaign at the show.

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