Microsoft brings xCloud to Windows PCs with the Xbox app

Microsoft is bringing xCloud to Windows PCs through its Xbox app today. Xbox Insiders will be able to access a new updated Xbox app with Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) built in. Much like how xCloud works through the web, you’ll just need a compatible controller connected via Bluetooth or USB to access Xbox games from a Windows 10 PC.

The updated Xbox app will include a new “cloud games” section, with access to all of the same games available on xCloud on the web. “We’ve also added some new features to help you get started, including easy-to-access information on controller and network status, social features to stay connected with friends, and the ability to invite people – even those also playing on cloud without the game installed – to join you in a game,” says Jason Beaumont, a partner director of Xbox experiences.

Xbox Insider testers will be able to access the new Xbox app in 22 different countries through signing up to the “Windows Gaming” preview in the Xbox Insider Hub app. Cloud games will then be available in the Game Pass section of the app, allowing you to resume Xbox games that were started on a console or in the cloud.

This new Xbox app also includes the ability to stream games from a local Xbox, allowing you to power on and off a console and play your games streamed from your own Xbox.

If you’re not an Xbox tester, you can still access xCloud over at http://xbox.com/play, and Microsoft will likely bring this full experience to the Xbox app on Windows in the coming months.