Microsoft made a raft of announcements today ahead of its Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase on Sunday. There are no megatons here, but it’s worth rounding up what Microsoft’s had to say about what’s coming next for Xbox across console, PC and the cloud.
First up, Microsoft announced a plan to roll out the ability for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play, from the cloud, select games they already own or have purchased outside the Xbox Game Pass library. That’s coming later this year.
Next, from 30th June you’ll be able to play cloud-enabled Game Pass Ultimate games without a console via 2022 Samsung smart TVs. Microsoft’s plan is to roll this feature out to other tellies over the course of the year.
New updates for Windows 11 include optimisations to improve latency and unlock Auto HDR and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). There’s a new HDR calibration app to help players improve colour accuracy and consistency of their HDR displays, a Game Pass widget, and a controller bar, which lets players jump back into their games or access Xbox Cloud Gaming without the need for a mouse and keyboard.