Here’s how to play full Xbox games on Linux with xCloud (video)

Posted on by Adam Z. Lein

Microsoft released a beta of their web-based xCloud game streaming service recently. It would seem that this version of the service will work with any web browser that supports WebRTC, so let’s see how that works.

I decided to plug an Xbox controller into the USB port of my Pinebook Pro running Manjaro Linux and the open-source Chromium web browser.  

If you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can try the new beta web-based streaming service at Xbox.com/Play as well. The system requirements say that you need a Windows 10 PC or an Apple iOS 14+ device, but… guess what… Linux works, too. 

Of course, you’ll also want a high-speed 10Mbps+ internet connection for the streaming, and an Xbox controller plugged in via USB or paired via Bluetooth.  Microsoft mainly built this version because Apple won’t let them make a game streaming app for the Apple App Store, so the web-based method is a workaround for that. The bonus is that this web-based version happens to work with a lot of other platforms too. 

Xbox Linux

This Pinebook Pro has extremely low specs by the way. It’s a six-core, 1.4GHz, Pine64 ARM processor with only 4GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage. If that was running Windows 10, everything would be laggy!  

See below for how Xbox Game Streaming actually works on this very inexpensive Linux laptop running Manjaro XFCE Linux.

As you’ll see, the simple games work quite well, while more action-oriented games are probably going to need a bit more processing power on the client-side. Outriders worked ok, but there was certainly some latency, and Halo 5 Guardians turned out to be practically unplayable. 

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At last, iPhones and iPads will be able to play Xbox games via a web browser

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

Microsoft promised late last year that its cloud-based game streaming service – previously known as Project xCloud – will make its way to iPhones and iPads via a web browser in Spring season. In case you’re unfamiliar, Apple initially blocked services such as xCloud and Google’s Stadia from being listed on the App Store for policy violation, as Apple wanted to review each game offered by these subscription-based services individually, which was not deemed acceptable by Microsoft. True to its word, the software giant has now announced that it will start sending beta testing invites for its cloud-based game streaming service to select iPhone and iPad users starting tomorrow.

Chrome, Edge, and Safari will help you access over 100 Xbox titles

Of course, you’ll need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to enjoy games on your iPhone and iPad once you get the invite. But do keep in mind that this is not a wide rollout. Instead, the Xbox team is taking a cautious approach here and is sending out invites to players in all 22 supported regions in a phased manner as a beta, ensuring that bugs can be taken care of and performance tuning can be done.

Those who have been invited to try out the cloud-based game streaming service on their iPhone and iPad can visit the xbox.com/play to enjoy over 100 Xbox games on their Apple phone or tablet. Additionally, you can pick between a compatible controller (wired or Bluetooth) and touch-screen controls that are now available for over 50 games. As for the browser that you choose to enjoy games, you can pick between Edge, Google, Chrome, and Safari.

Microsoft's game streaming service is ready for Windows 10 PCs too via a browser

In addition to iPhones and iPads, Microsoft is also extending its cloud-based game streaming service to Windows 10 PCs. What this means is even if you don’t have a fire-breathing gaming PC, you will still be able to have a smooth experience of playing games on your business laptop without having to worry about your machine choking. That is because Microsoft is offloading all graphics processing duties to server blades that employ Xbox hardware, which means all you need is a Windows 10 machine and a stable internet connection to tear through some monsters in Doom Eternal.

View Xbox Game Pass UIltimate membership at Best Buy
 View iPhone 12 Pro at Amazon
 View iPad Pro at Amazon

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Mario Day comes with savings on the Nintendo Switch and tons of games

Posted on by Samuel Martinez

We have great news for all of those gamers out there. We keep on getting great deals from Amazon.com, but we will focus exclusively on gaming deals this time. First, the Nintendo Switch gaming console with 32GB of internal storage is currently getting a $30.99 discount, meaning that you can get yours for $409. Now, this may seem more than what you would usually find it at other stores, but that’s because this console comes bundled with a pair of earphones, an LCD film to protect your display, a card case, a silicon case x 2pcs, a carry bag, a wiping cloth and more. You can even get the latest Nintendo Switch Mario Red and Blue Edition Console for $420 with the same accessories and $30 savings.

However, if you already have a Nintendo Switch, you can also consider getting a new PowerA Joy-Con Charging Dock to charge your controllers. You can get one for $19.88 after a $5.11 discount. A better alternative would be getting a PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch that currently sells for $40.24 with $9.75 savings. There are tons of options to choose from, and prices will also vary; some even start at $20.

    Nintendo Switch

    PowerA Joy-Con Charging Dock

    PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller

 

Now, gaming consoles and accessories aren’t the only products on sale. You can also find s huge variety of games. We will start with the game deals for the Nintendo Switch, as we find the Super Mario Party selling the $39 with $21.11 savings, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe going for $40 after a $20 discount, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity for $49.94, down from its regular $60 price tag. There are more awesome titles like Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team Dx with up to $15 off.

    Super Mario Party

    Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

    Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

 

For those PlayStation and Xbox gamers, we have also spotted savings on the latest Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which is now available for $28 in its Standard Edition with $32 savings. Marvel’s Avengers is getting a $30 discount, which leaves it available for $30; yes, that’s 50 percent off. And finally, the Standard Edition of Just Dance 2021 is getting a $20.17 discount, so you can grab a copy for $29.82. There are many more games on sale for your PlayStation and your Xbox, so take your time and choose wisely.

    Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

    Marvel’s Avengers

    Just Dance 2021

 

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iPhones and iPads can now stream games from an Xbox One via Microsoft’s new app

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

The status of xCloud game streaming service’s arrival of on iPhones and iPads is still in limbo, with App Store policies providing to be the bone of contention between Microsoft and Apple. However, there is now another way you can enjoy Xbox games on your iPhone and iPad without worrying about any tussles. That new way is Micorosft’s new Xbox app, which enables remote play from your Xbox One console to an iPhone or iPad. This capability was rolled out widely on the Android platform last month, and is now finally making its way to the iOS platform.

No xCloud, no problem!

To stream console games straight on your iPhone or iPad, you need to connect it with your Xbox One and must have a stable connection with over 10Mbps downlink speed. Now, you need to pair the Xbox Wireless Controller with your iPhone or iPad over Bluetooth. You can find complete step-by-step instructions in the Xbox app itself, or you can visit the official support page for more information. Here’s how the feature looks in action:

All games installed on your Xbox One console – including the Xbox Game Pass titles – can be played on an iPhone or iPad without any further downloads required. Just pair it, link the controller, and you’re good to go. In addition to streaming games from your console to a mobile device, the new Xbox app also allows you to stay in touch with your gaming buddies, share game clips on social media, and get notifications for game invites, party chat, and more.

You still need an Xbox One console to enable remote play on your iPhone

However, do keep in mind that Xbox Remote Play is different from xCloud. The new Xbox app only allows remote play, which means you need an Xbox One console on which games are downloaded to stream them on your iPhone or iPad. xCloud, on the other hand, will let you play Xbox games anywhere on your iPhone or iPad, even over cellular networks and without having to pair it with a console. However, you will need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Live Gold membership to enjoy Xbox games on your mobile device even if you don’t own a console. 

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Microsoft plans to bring xCloud to iPhones via a web-based solution: Report

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

The saga of cloud-based game streaming services on Apple’s iOS platform hasn’t been a smooth one. After claiming that services like Microsoft’s xCloud and Google’s Stadia violate App Store policies, Apple finally extended an olive branch with a few caveats that have been the bone of contention all along. While xCloud went live for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers last month with a library of over 150 games, it is only available on Andriod devices, and not iPhones or iPads. However, Microsoft reportedly has a workaround via a web-based approach to bringing xCloud on the Apple hardware. 

We absolutely will end up on iOS

As per a Business Insider report, Xbox chief Phil Spencer told employees during an all-hands meeting that Microsoft plans to bring xCloud to iPhones and iPads via a “direct browser-based solution.” And the company has reportedly set a target of 2021 to accomplish that goal. 

“We’ll end up on iPhones, and iPads with Game Pass,” Spencer was quotes as saying by The Verge. Microsoft has reportedly been working on this web-based solution for iOS and iPadOS, as it developed the dedicated app that was supposed to appear on the App Store. While both companies have engaged in some back and forth over the situation in the past weeks, Spencer clearly said in a CNBC interview that the company is determined to offer xCloud on all mobile platforms, and that includes iOS as well. 

xCloud is coming to Windows 10 PCs too!

Another major news is that after bringing xCloud to mobile devices, the company also plans to bring it to PCs as well. As per The Verge, the company has started testing a preview version of xCloud for Windows 10 and has already made it available to all Microsoft employees. The service will work via a new Xbox Game Streaming app for Windows 10 that will be made available via the Microsoft Store, and the requirements to enjoy it will be the same as its mobile version viz. a Bluetooth Xbox One controller, a Microsoft account, and a sufficiently fast internet connection. 

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Pocketnow Daily: Google Pixel 5 Price: Too Good to be True? (video)

Posted on by Samuel Martinez

Apple Watch Series 6, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and more devices are on sale

The official news today begin with Deals, and believe it or not, one of them continues to be a discontinued phone. Since we’re talking Pixels today, the Google Pixel 4 is currently $300 off on Amazon, that leaves the entry level variant for $500 shipped. The 4 XL is $118 off, leaving it at $781 shipped for the entry level variant. If you want a brand new Apple Watch, the Series 6 is currently $15 off. Hey, we know it’s not a huge deal but, it’s a new Watch so, it’s still a deal. This leaves the 40mm GPS variant for $385 shipped. Finally, if you want an affordable Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab A10.1 is currently $50 off, that leaves the 32GB of storage variant for $180. We have deals on Amazon Fire tablets, and a bunch of Razer peripherals in the links in the description.
Buy Apple Watch Series 6
Buy Apple Watch SE

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 750G chip brings an AI-driven noise supression tech

Now let’s talk about Qualcomm as the company is clearly pushing the premium midrange segment harder than they are their flagships it seems. Qualcomm has been very update as of late, and now they’re updating their 7 Series with a new SoC. This new Snapdragon 750G is an 8nm processor which uses the Kryo 570 core CPU that promises a 20% boost in performance, and the Adreno 619 GPU which offers a 10% boost in graphics. This new processor supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz 6G with the X52 modem, and it comes with the Snapdragon Elite Gaming features bundled. It supports things like 4K HDR video, 192MP images, slow-mo 720p at 240fps, 120Hz FHD+ displays, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 and more, with a peak clock speed of 2.2GHz. It will be available by the end of this year, with Xiaomi launching the first phone powered by it.

Xbox Beta app now lets you remotely play Xbox One games on your Android phone for free

Now for our gamers in the audience, let’s talk about the recent moves that Microsoft has been doing, with one in particular. Microsoft just made a big move as they just acquired ZeniMax Media. If you don’t know who ZeniMax Media is, they’re Bethesda’s parent company which should ring a bell. They’re also the parent company for other gaming developing studios like Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog and more. According to Bloomberg, Microsoft spent around $7.5B for this deal to happen, they’re biggest videogame purchase ever. They released a statement where they said that “they’ll be adding Bethesda’s iconic franchises to Xbox Game Pass, and they’re most excited to see the roadmap with the future games.” Bethesda owns some of the biggest titles in the industry like Fallout, the rebooted Doom titles, Wolfenstein, The Elder Scrolls and more. They haven’t made any announcements as to any new originals or how they plan to distribute them but it looks like it’s a move to compete against Sony which always had the upper hand when it comes to exclusives. I’m seriously just happy over Wolfenstein, which continues to be one of my favorite games of all time.

AT&T believes iPhone 12 launch may not be a ‘Massive event’

And yes, the whole proximity to TechTober means that we’re getting closer and closer to the iPhone 12 line up so, with hype building up, but not everywhere it seems. AT&T has come out with a report that says that they’re not too hyped about it. According to the company’s CEO of communications, he claims that “he does believe that you will see many of the current iPhone subscribers upgrade their device, but he wouldn’t forecast that it’s going to be a massive event, but of course he wouldn’t call it a nonevent. He thinks that based on the current pressures of the economy, people will make a calculated decision when they buy these new phones, and AT&T is going to be there to offer these Apple devices regardless.” Basically, what he’s trying to say is that with 5G and the added prices, he doesn’t think people will flock to stores to get the new iPhones like it’s happened in prior years, due to the economy but hey, with Apple you never know. What do you guys think will happen? Think this is why the iPhone mini is gonna be the biggest push for the company

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirms a 120Hz display for the upcoming OnePlus 8T

OnePlus 8T 5G European pricing leaked ahead of launch

Yesterday, OnePlus announced that we’ll be getting the 8T on October 14th. Oddly they’re not doing it with the same amount of hype they did with the Nord, which is kind of ironic. Now, we got some official statements from Pete Lau when it comes to this phone’s display. According to Pete himself, this phone will pack a 6.55-inch display running at 120Hz. He also added that they’ll be using a 2.5D flexible display for the first time with this phone. If you didn’t know, a 2.5D flexible panel offers improved light permeability, reaching a maximum brightness of up to 1100 nits. The report also adds that this phone will bring a 91.9% screen to body ratio, the highest of any OnePlus phone. Finally and moving away from the specs, he claims that it will have the highest color accuracy possible across the screen. But enough with promo, let’s move to some leaked price tags which we got yesterday on Twitter. According to this tipster, these prices are exclusive for Europe and, they’re pretty expensive. The entry level variant for the 8T will cost €799 and the added RAM and storage will cost you €899. This is actually cheaper than what we currently got with the 8 but, if you remember last year, the 7T was €100 cheaper than the regular 7, so these leaks might not be too far off. He also claims that his source is very sure of these prices and, we should expect that same number for the US, meaning $799 and $899 as OnePlus doesn’t really change price with different currencies. Too expensive, good price? I think if OnePlus doesn’t bring it down to $699, it’s gonna be a tough race.

Story of the day:

Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G early retail listings reveal the price, storage and color options

And finally the hottest news of the day have to do with new developments when it comes to the Google Pixel 5. Let’s keep on talking about pricing leaks and, this time it’s positive. We’ve gotten several leaks about this phone, like the design and the specs, but we hadn’t gotten a leaked price tag ahead of the September 30th Event. Now, it’s been listed on European retailers, giving us more information on the pricing, color options and storage variants. First we got some screenshots of the listings but, those aren’t too trust worthy, so later on we got a reliable tipster confirming the price tags. According to him, the Pixel 4a 5G will cost €499 and it will come in Black and White variants. The Pixel 5 will cost €629 and will come in Black and Green variants, no panda this year. All of the screenshots from the retailers go along with these price tags so, they’re probably not too far off. Focusing on the Pixel 5, we’re expecting this phone to bring a 6-inch OLED display running at 90Hz, the Snapdragon 765G, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. As well as a dual camera module at the back but it now includes an ultra wide angle lens instead of the telephoto. The 4a 5G will simple be a larger variant of the Pixel 4a, with 5G and a dual camera.
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Xbox Beta app now lets you remotely play Xbox One games on your Android phone for free

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

Microsoft has today launched a new Xbox beta app that introduces a host of fresh features and also opens Xbox Remote Play for everyone. Previously known as Xbox Console Streaming, the feature is no longer exclusive to Xbox Insiders and can now be enjoyed by anyone who has an Xbox One console and has the new Xbox beta app installed on their phone. Xbox Remote Play will let you play all games downloaded on your console directly on your Android smartphone or tablet for free. The games you can remotely play on your smartphone also includes the tiles sitting in your Xbox Game Pass library.

However, Xbox Remote Play is different from the xCloud game streaming service. For Xbox Remote Play to work, you need to have an Xbox One console and a compatible controller to remotely play games installed on your console. But for the xCloud service, you don’t need an Xbox console. All you need is an Xbox Game Pass subscription and a phone on which you can stream any game currently in your library. All the processing happens in the cloud on Microsoft’s own server blades, so you won’t have to worry about performance bottlenecks You can download the new Xbox beta app from the Play Store here. 

Aside from bringing Xbox Remote Play to all Xbox One owners, the new Xbox beta app now allows users to simultaneously sign in on as many Xbox consoles as they want. However, you’ll be only able to play on one device at a time (unless you have two brains and four arms) so that in-game progress and achievements are synced across all devices. Plus, the new Xbox beta app is the one that gamers will use to sign in to their box account for the first time on their Xbox Series X or Series S consoles. Plus, the app will act as a remote control that will allow users to install new games on their console, delete older ones to free up storage, and of course, take advantage of Xbox Remote Play. 

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Xbox Xcloud Game Streaming on the Surface Duo is Awesome

Posted on by Adam Z. Lein

Today’s the day when Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Streaming is officially available. It appears in the updated “Game Pass” app on Android as a “Cloud” section next to the Console and PC sections. You can only browse games in the Console and PC sections (and install them remotely to your console or PC), but in the Cloud section, you can actually play them on your Android device!

I’ve been using the Xcloud game streaming service as a beta since it started, and at the beginning, it was very rough. Games would freeze or the display would freeze and the game would keep going on audio but you couldn’t see anything. It used to be very buggy and difficult to use.

Today is a completely different story. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Cloud Streaming is just about as smooth as playing Xbox games on a real Xbox!

Below is a little video to illustrate how smooth Xbox Cloud Streaming works on a Surface Duo. Loading games can still be pretty slow, and the touch controls that we saw in the beta are missing for now, but playing games is very good. Of course, we’re on a 5Ghz WiFi connection with about 85Mbps download speeds, so your mileage may vary.

Of course, this isn’t free. It requires a Game Pass Ultimate subscription which costs $15 per month. Game Pass is a subscription that’s kind of like Music Pass or Netflix except it’s for Xbox Games. That price sounds like way too much just to enable cloud streaming, but that $15/month includes a lot of other extras. You also get a huge library of Xbox games to install and play on any Xbox, and you get another selection of Windows 10 PC games to install and play on any of your gaming computers, and you get the Xbox Live Gold subscription which enables online multiplayer gaming as well as “Games with Gold” free games to keep every two weeks. You also get some 50-75% off discounts on buying Xbox games in the Microsoft Store and you get instant first day access to select new Xbox exclusive games as soon as they’re released. If you like Xbox and PC games, that $15/month becomes quite reasonable once you add up all the perks.

Sorry, Xbox Game Pass Cloud Streaming won’t work on Apple iOS devices because Apple says no.

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Microsoft says Xbox Series X costs $499, reveals availability details of its next-gen consoles

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

It’s been a wild 24 hours for Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox consoles. Following a leaked render and alleged pricing of the Xbox Series S, Microsoft quickly revealed the more affordable console, and soon confirmed a November 10 launch date via an official trailer. Now, the company has dropped another bombshell by announcing the pricing and availability details of both the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S consoles. Ready yet? Cool, let’s get into the details.

The Xbox Series X costs $499, while the Xbox Series S will set buyers back by $299. Pre-orders for both the consoles begin on September 22, while the global launch will happen on November 10. If you live in India, you’ll have to pay Rs. 34,990 (~ $476) for the Xbox Series S, while the Xbox Series X costs a bomb at Rs. 49,990 (~ $681). That’s a huge premium over what the new consoles cost in the US market, and I am royally miffed about it. But Microsoft is also offering another way to purchase the consoles that will appeal to gamers, and it is called Xbox All Access. So, what is that?

What is Xbox All Access?

Well, Xbox All Access offers you the Xbox Series X or its cheaper sibling as well as 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you get more than 100 high-quality games to play on consoles as well as PC, including next-gen Optimized games. Additionally, Microsoft has announced that EA Play membership will also be thrown in as a freebie with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which offers 60 of EA’s console and PC games like FIFA 20, Titanfall 2 and Need for Speed Heat, as well as titles from other well-known franchises such as Battlefield, Mass Effect, Skate, and The Sims.

Moreover, Microsoft is also bundling in xCloud with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate starting September 15, which means you can play over 100 console games from the cloud on your smartphone or tablet. So, here’s a quick breakdown of everything you get with Xbox All Access:

  • The console itself
  • Access to over 100 games in the Xbox Game Pass library that can be played on both console and PC
  • Free EA Play membership
  • Free xCloud access 

You can find more details about Xbox All Access here.

How much you pay?

Xbox Series S will be up for grabs at $24.99 per month with the Xbox All Access financing plan, while the Xbox Series X runs slightly higher at $34.99 per month. Microsoft says Xbox All Access is available in 12 countries now and will be offered by outlets such as GameStop, Target, Walmart, Telstra and SK Telecom to name a few. Unfortunately, the list doesn’t include India, but Microsoft has plans to expand the availability of Xbox All Access to more countries in the foreseeable future. 

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Microsoft officially unveils Xbox Series S and confirms a sweet $299 asking price

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

Earlier today, the first render of the Xbox Series S – Microsoft’s cheaper next-gen console – surfaced online – giving us our first glimpse of its design and also hinted at a rather aggressive $299 price tag. Well, it was the real deal. And before leaks could spoil any more surprises, Microsoft has officially revealed the Xbox Series S and has confirmed that it will cost $299. As we mentioned in a previous story, this is a great price for an entry into the next-gen console ecosystem for gamers. Microsoft has only shared the render and pricing of its upcoming console so far, and has promised to reveal more details soon.

But apparently, we don’t have to wait too long for more details. A new leaked promotional video for the Xbox Series S highlights all of its key features and capabilities such as 1440p gaming, ray tracing and more. Additionally, another report claims to reveal the Xbox Series S’ launch date, alongside that of the Xbox Series X and its pricing. Starting with the leaked promo video, it claims that the Xbox Series S is the smallest console made by Microsoft and that it is 60% smaller than the more powerful Xbox Series X.

There is also mention of a custom-made NVMe SSD of 512GB capacity that employs the in-house Xbox Velocity architecture, promising fast loading times and quick game switching. The console is touted to deliver up to 120fps frame rates at 1440p resolution. Other features highlighted in the video are an all-digital design, DirectX raytracing, variable rate shading, variable refresh rate (VRR), streaming media playback at 4K and 4K upscaling in games. 

Additionally, a report from Windows Central claims that the Xbox Series S will be launched alongside the Xbox Series X on November 10. The Xbox Series S will retail at $299, and there is also a $25/month Xbox All Access financing option that includes the console itself alongside access to Xbox’s game library. As for the Xbox Series X, it is said to cost $499 and will also be offered with an Xbox All Access financing option that will set buyers back by $35/month.

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