Xbox: Cloud Gaming Will Not Replace Console or PC

Xbox's Pav Bhardwaj believes that cloud gaming will not totally replace gaming on consoles or PC but will be "just a great alternative".

In mid-July, Samsung held an event to celebrate the launch of Samsung Gaming Hub, the company's new game streaming discovery platform that can run games from Xbox Game Pass using cloud.

In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, senior global product manager at Xbox Game Pass Pav Bhardwaj spoke about the collaboration between the companies.

Bhardwaj noted that Microsoft's intention is to connect the majority of the three billion gamers around the world, and the cloud technology helps to do this, even if a person does not own devices designed specifically for gaming.

"There are different reasons why people don't buy dedicated hardware: affordability, accessibility, maybe they're lapsed gamers or already own devices for other platforms," Bhardwaj said. "We really think this is about accessibility and choice."

The Xbox Game Pass cloud service is available not only on Samsung Smart TVs, but also on mobile devices, but Bhardwaj believes that TVs still deliver a much better experience for gamers. The manager emphasized that all games run through the cloud at 1080p and 60 fps so they "meet the quality bar that the gamers of today expect."

"I think we've got to the inflection point where we can deliver cloud gaming services through Smart TVs in the same way that Disney+ or Netflix is delivered, at that level [of quality] – and you don't need a console. That's the magic of the experience," Bhardwaj said.

However, despite all this, Microsoft understands that not all players are interested in cloud gaming, even if this may hypothetically be a more convenient option for gamers. Still, Bhardwaj noted that cloud gaming is "just another route, another option" for gamers, and is not intended to replace gaming on consoles or PC.

"Consoles are beloved, and cloud gaming is just a great alternative," he concluded.

As Xbox Game Pass is a subscription-based service, it needs to offer a vast library that is continually expanding to retain the audience. However, Bhardwaj is not worried about this. Instead, he cites other advantages of subscription services that may be attractive to gamers.

"If you do the maths on buying two or three games per year, I think there's an equivalent in the annual subscription charge," he said. "There's also an element of being introduced to genres of games that you would never have played before, because you would never have purchased them."

Xbox: Cloud Gaming Will Not Replace Console or PC

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