Following months of Xbox Insider testing, all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now stream a “select” number of their owned games to Xbox Series X/S or Xbox One consoles, without needing to install them first. It’s one of several Xbox features launching in April.
Microsoft first discussed giving Xbox players the ability to stream their owned games back in 2019, but the feature suffered multiple delays. It finally arrived last November, but was only available through a limited number of platforms – namely TVs and via browsers on supported devices such as tablets, smartphones, and Meta Quest headset. A month later, streaming to Xbox consoles was introduced to Insider testing, and it’s now available to everyone – provided they have a Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, at least.
The feature’s arrival means all Ultimate members can now stream games outside of those included in the Game Pass library, but only if they appear on Microsoft’s list of supported titles. At present, “100+” games are compatibile with the feature, and more are set to be added over time. Recent additions include Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2, Wanderstop, and Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed – with the full list available on the Xbox website.
To begin using the feature, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers should fire up their console and navigate to My games & apps > Full library > Owned Games. All supported titles include a cloud badge on their game page, and streaming is started by selecting the game and choosing the Play with Cloud Gaming option. It’s also possible to begin streaming directly from the Store app after purchasing a compatible game.
Alongside owned game streaming, April’s Xbox update brings a number of other improvements and additions to console. Xbox’s ‘Free up space’ screen, for instance, now highlights duplicate copies of games and games that players no longer have access to, and Microsoft has introduced new Game hubs to Xbox consoles too.
Additionally, Xbox remote play has seen changes, with Microsoft removing the feature from the Xbox app on mobile and instead requiring players to access it from their mobile device’s browser, which the company insists will “make it easier for our teams to optimise the streaming experience and build new features”. The change will also “soon” bring remote play to more devices, including Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, and Meta Quest headsets.
And finally, Microsoft is updating its Xbox app on iOS and Android so players can buy games and add-on content, join Game Pass, and redeem Perks directly in-app. The changes will initially be available to beta users before launching for everyone via the Google Play Store on Android devices and the Apple Store on iOS. More details an be found in Microsoft’s blog post.