Xbox may soon be testing the ability to let you stream games you own over Cloud Streaming, instead of limiting you to just titles available in Xbox Game Pass.
The Verge’s Tom Warren reports that the functionality is a part of Project Lapland, and will be coming to the Xbox Insider program in November. Barring any problems, it’ll release to more users after that. Based on previous statements, it’ll likely only be available to Ultimate subscribers.
Xbox allows you to stream games only if they’re available through Game Pass. You can play this library on the go on just about any device, including your mobile device and now even your Amazon TV. In most cases, you need to open a separate web browser to access games through the cloud. However, Xbox has been releasing standalone apps for devices like smart TVs, and it’s continuing that trend with a new mobile app that combines the Xbox and Game Pass apps into one. You’d still have to use a browser for Cloud Streaming, but you can search the catalog and grab Game Pass perks.
Plus, thanks to a new ruling in Epic Games’ antitrust battle with Google, Xbox will soon allow users to buy games directly through its app on Android. Previously, Google didn’t let app makers set up third-party payments through the Play Store.
The court's ruling to open up Google´s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility. Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices so we are thrilled to share that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly…
— BondSarahBond (@BondSarah_Bond) October 10, 2024
Xbox has been working on these plans for quite a while. The ability to stream owned games through the cloud instead of just Game Pass titles was first promised back when its streaming service was just known as Project xCloud. In 2019, Xbox leadership said: “We believe in the freedom to play and the freedom to choose. In 2020 we will enable gamers to stream from the cloud Xbox games that they already own or will purchase.”
The company reiterated these plans in 2022. Ashley McKissick, corporate vice president of Gaming Experiences and Platforms, told media that following player feedback, Game Pass Ultimate users could stream games they already own “as long as they’re cloud enabled” later that year.
The Call of Duty franchise has held a special place in my heart ever since I played my first Black Ops game back in 2010. That game's campaign was something else, with twists and turns that culminated in a mind-blowing finale. We can all admit that compared to those older campaigns, the recent CODs have been lackluster at best, and a complete and utter disappointment at worst. The reboot of Modern Warfare did give me some hope, as the first two installments were actually quite good, but the third game left such a bad taste in my mouth that I wasn’t exactly expecting much from Modern Warfare 4.
After recently finishing the campaign, I can say that this installment is nothing like the recent releases and instead feels closer to the franchise’s roots. For the first time in a long while, the campaign comes across as well-crafted rather than rushed to hit a release date. It arrives three years after MW3, and you can see exactly where all that time went. It seems the studio finally made listening to player feedback a priority.
Epic Games has just announced the 2026 Epic AI MegaJam, which is looking to see how much game development can be squeezed into a very short window. This is running from November 12 through November 15.
Participants can work alone or in teams of up to five people, build in Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite, and bring along “as many AI agents as you want.” Epic explicitly encourages coding agents, AI-generated assets, audio tools, writing tools, and other AI systems. The official event page literally says "Vibe your way to $50k.”
It’s turning into a pretty good time to be a Monster Hunter fan who plays on a phone. Capcom has confirmed that Monster Hunter Outlanders will launch on Android and iOS on October 29, giving the series a new mobile-first game just as Monster Hunter Rise is also preparing to make the jump to smartphones through Netflix.
Outlanders is being developed by Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studio Group under license and supervision from Capcom. Unlike Rise, which appears to be the full console and PC game adapted for mobile, Outlanders is a free-to-play survival hunting game made specifically for phones.