Xbox Cloud Gaming is still not fully out yet (it's still in beta), but its library is purported to grow soon with the addition of non-Game Pass, triple-A heavyweights.
The refurbished Xbox Series X consoles are still available at Microsoft Store.
As reported by Windows Central, Microsoft's cloud gaming service could likely get FromSoftware's new open-world masterpiece in Elden Ring, potentially alongside a few other games like it (that is, not available in Game Pass). The Elden Ring listing was spotted by content creator Klobrille on the official Xbox website. Now, this wouldn't be too out of the blue as Elden Ring is on both last and current-gen Xbox consoles. But what tickled Klobrille's fancy is that it featured an apparent Xbox Cloud Gaming play button.
Here is a screenshot of the listing at the time of this writing, where you can clearly see the Cloud Gaming designation on the top left corner:
elden ring cloud
Despite the presence of this page, though, this is far from an actual confirmation that Microsoft is going to bring Elden Ring to its cloud gaming service. It's also worth noting that FromSoftware's title is not available on Game Pass, so it could be right to assume that other non-Game Pass games like it will potentially be streamable via the cloud.
As for now, Xbox Cloud Gaming is only accessible to those who have a game Pass Ultimate subscription. Microsoft has been leaning into this part of their service for a while, judging by how 2022 Samsung TV models now have cloud gaming built in. This is all part of the tech giant's efforts to reach as many gamers as possible, regardless of whether they actually have consoles/PCs or not.
Last year, there were rumors that Microsoft was finally planning to launch cloud gaming in full in 2022. But it's the middle of the year already and the service is still in beta, as you can see. It is said that the company is still weighing the overall performance of the service alongside its business potential, that's why things haven't taken off yet (via a separate Windows Central report).
But consider how a big game like Elden Ring launching on cloud gaming would do for Microsoft and Xbox's bottom line. If it succeeds, then it will pave the way for even more people to get to play the latest and greatest games, all without needing an actual console.
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A Better Library?
As of this writing, everything that is on Game Pass is available via cloud gaming (due to the fact that it comes with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription). As such, you can say that you get the same kind of value with Xbox Cloud Gaming as you get with a typical Game Pass subscription, since the service not only offers great games - but also Day One first-party releases.
But with the addition of non-Game Pass titles like Elden Ring, Microsoft's game library is going to be bolstered like never before. It is unclear how the company could manage something like this beyond straight-up acquiring FromSoftware or other developers. Though if they do manage to achieve it, then Sony and PlayStation are going to face stiffer competition in the game subscription service space.
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