xCloud Input Lag is less than 10ms near a datacenter, may only need 5 mbps internet when finalized
There's alot to look forward to
Asher Madan March 19, 2019
Today, Google is unveiling its streaming platform, but that hasn't stopped Microsoft from dropping some new information about its upcoming Project xCloud streaming service which is expected to enter public trials in 2019. Microsoft's vice president of the gaming cloud Kareem Choudhry sat down with Eurogamer to discuss what to expect from the upcoming service.
When asked about the latency, Choudhry said the following.
From the data centers we have near Washington we're seeing really good latency - less than 10 ms that's being added by the traversal to the cloud. Frankly we find more latency in the Bluetooth stack, connected to an Android phone.
Google's streaming technology requires a lot of bandwidth to stream games at the highest quality, but Microsoft hopes to limit that to the single digits. Choudhry added the following.
We hope to get down to single digit Mbps. I think some of the demos we've shown so far have probably gone down to nine, ten Mbps. Some of the work that we're doing with Microsoft research, I think we'll be able to get a really good video feed probably around six to five.
Lastly, it seems like Project xCloud may be part of Xbox Game Pass. Towards the end of the interview, Choudhry said the following.
Obviously Xbox Game Pass is our subscription service, it's really where we want to deliver great experiences and value to our customers. And right now it's a console product - we have aspirations to bring it to more users and more places. Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass are going to coexist in some reasonable way.
Hopefully Project xCloud will live up to expectations. In order to be a gaming platform for everyone, it has to be cognizant of internet limitations like data caps. We'll see what the future holds, but answers to those questions will determine who wins the "streaming wars."
https://www.windowscentral.com/project-xcloud-input-lag-measures-10-ms-may-need-5-mbps-internet
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Microsoft Doesn’t See xCloud As A Replacement For Consoles
Microsoft clearly has huge ambitions with the upcoming cloud-based streaming service xCloud, something that strives to bring console-quality games – every single one that natively runs on an Xbox, in fact – to any and all devices- even tablets and mobiles. But while the purpose of the project is to expand the scope of the industry and bring it to people regardless of whether or not they own the required console hardware.
But you shouldn’t take that to mean that console hardware is going to go out of fashion any time soon. Microsoft clearly sees xCloud as a vital part of its future strategy, but as per their corporate VP of gaming cloud Kareem Choudhry, it isn’t meant to be a replacement, or something that signifies the death of traditional consoles. According to Choudhry, it’s more a matter of “and”, rather than one of “or”.
It’s not that extreme at all,” said Choudhry while speaking with Eurogamer. “I’ve been building consoles for 15 years – we’re not getting out of the console business, we spoke about it in our xCloud videos. We love our consoles, we love that business, and we’re super proud to have the most powerful console out on the market place today and that leadership position we hope to retain going forward.”
“And I also believe your best premium experience is going to be dedicated hardware running under your TV in your living room,” he continued. “It’s an ‘and’ conversation, not an ‘or’ conversation. Everyone loves to jump to the death of consoles, and I think it makes a great headline, but we don’t think that way at all.”
Given just how experimental cloud technology remains at this stage, it’s hard to see it replacing consoles any time soon, so in that, Choudhry obviously has a point. In its infancy, xCloud will be more about laying down the foundation for the future, rather than just upending the status quo of the industry immediately upon arrive. How well it lays down the foundation remains to be seen- public trials begin later this year, so we don’t have to wait too long to find out how it’s shaping up.
https://gamingbolt.com/microsoft-doesnt-see-xcloud-as-a-replacement-for-consoles
Last edited by shikamaru317 - on 19 March 2019
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