Yes, MS should pivot away from Cloud Gaming. Just leave it in incubation until the tech is better suited for cloud streaming of games. 

Edit: I say this so the ABK deal can get passed. If MS just drops xcloud, CMA has no argument to fall back on

They'll find something else wrong. I don't see any chance of this deal passing. 

I'll definitely be tuning in! 

I believe the CMA is going to find it very hard to justify a market that really isn't moving at all.  I am sure MS is more than happy to drop XCloud from the UK because no one really is using it.  Once that piece is gone, they will have to work very hard to find something else but you are right that I believe they are just looking for a reason.  Maybe MS slapping them in the face with that faulty data for the console SLC ruffled some feathers.

I'm so freaking excited for this baby. Diablo 4 will run like a charm on this beauty.

Game Pass, Steam, Epic, w/e other launchers... ALL in one UI and with Windows 11 running under the hood. I mean...

Def. tuning in too!

The fact that Cloud of all things is what is holding up the ABK acquisition still blows my mind. Cloud gaming is a market that isn't likely to go much of anywhere for at least a decade, quite possibly longer. There are far too many things holding it back from being a viable alternative to playing games on local hardware, the difficulty of playing games designed for a physical controller on a touch screen, the cost of a truly unlimited mobile data plan, the limited coverage of 5G towers (5G covers less than half of the land area of 4G currently, and even 4G is missing in a great many area of the US still), latency issues, etc. Some of these areas are unlikely to see large improvement for at least a decade. 

If I was Xbox I too would consider dropping my Cloud gaming plans if it means being allowed to acquire ABK. 

IGN is just dogpiling for clicks at this point, this feels like about the 10th tweet attacking Xbox and/or Redfall that I have seen from IGN in the last week. I'm just about done with IGN at this point.  

I'm thinking this can be a market where MS actually provides support for the third party through partnership programs kind of the same way they help and support the custom software development scene without competing in it directly.

Imagine you want to use the cloud streaming with your GamePass ultimate subs but instead of being forced to use Xcloud you can toggle between many providers at no extra charge. Xcloud can then be viewed as only one of many options and MS may even limit themselves to regions not properly served by third parties.

Those providers could also benefit from MS Library through their own store/services outside of Game Pass

Ms would have the benefits of :

• Directly promoting competition
• Directly promoting innovation
• Ensuring the best performance through their game pass subs
• Promoting the use of Azure (some providers will surely rely on this and MS may offer deals if it's the case)
• Ability to target more specific areas with their limited number of custom Series X hardware that cannibalise Series X production
• Completely fend off CMA arguments and would also be a behavioral remedy that would be easily trackable.

How do you guys deal with choice fatigue? With gamepass and digital libraries including backwards compatible games I sometimes feel overwhelmed with choice. Having a wife and kids, and a full time job, also limits the time I'm able to game.

Your best friend and worst enemy Randy Random  may help 😉