Companies really want people to be able to stream games from the cloud to a television, but where Stadia ultimately failed, Microsoft believes it can succeed. According to insider reports, the Big M is planning on releasing a games streaming device at some point in the next 12 months, letting users access the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library and play its games through the cloud.
This unnamed device, which sounds similar to an Amazon Fire Stick or a standalone Roku-like “puck,” will allow users to access and play games from the Pass as well as access movie and TV services, though specifics on what partnerships are planned in that avenue weren’t elaborated upon. On top of the device, Microsoft is working with Samsung to integrate the game-streaming features of this device into Samsung Smart TVs as an app; this is also expected in the next 12 months.
Microsoft’s move into this territory is not exactly news: The company has been trying to push its xCloud gaming service and has gone on record as far back as last June about going “all-in on gaming,” when company execs talked up expanding game streaming services and first mentioned plans for this very same device. Don’t be surprised when the Games Pass Puck arrives sometime in the next year, if not before.
