Xbox Cloud Gaming Now Reaches 1 Billion People, Microsoft Says

Microsoft is trying to reach 3 billion players around the world, and no Xbox piece of hardware is going to be able to do that. Microsoft is therefore turning to cloud streaming to extend its reach. As part of Microsoft’s Tokyo Game Show event, the company announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming has launched in Brazil and Mexico, while arriving in Australia and Japan on October 1. This gives Xbox Cloud Gaming a potential audience of 1 billion right now, the company claims.

Subscribers in these countries can play the 100+ Xbox Game Pass titles that work in the cloud and stream them to their PC or phone, or even to an Xbox console in some locations. The great thing about streaming is that there is no local download, and this is remarkable because games are getting bigger and bigger these days. Cloud-streaming is also theoretically useful as a way to quickly try out a game to decide if you like it rather than waiting a while for it to download.

With the launch in Australia, Brazil, Japan, and Mexico, Microsoft says Xbox Cloud Gaming has now reached over one billion people across five continents and 26 countries. The most important goal, however, is to reach 2 billion Following people.

“We are creating a future that combines the legacy of Xbox gaming with the power of Azure. A future where we bring immersive, high-fidelity games to over 3 billion players worldwide, ”said Microsoft.

Ampere Analysis’s Piers Harding-Rolls observed that the push to Brazil in particular is remarkable. “The support in Brazil is most interesting here given the size of the population, the high cost of console hardware and the mobile gaming business,” Harding-Rolls said on Twitter. “Microsoft Azure extended its support to Brazil at the end of 2020, so it’s a way to adapt its cloud capacity to this market. “

For more on Xbox Cloud Gaming, check out GameSpot’s recap of all the key details you need to know.