Phil Spencer, the head of all things Xbox at Microsoft, says that an Xbox smart TV app designed to stream games could arrive “in the next 12 months.”
In a wide-ranging interview on The Verge‘s Decoder podcast, Spencer was specifically asked what is stopping Microsoft from releasing an Xbox Game Streaming app (formerly called xCloud) for high-end smart televisions.
Spencer surprisingly said that this is something that’s actually in the company’s roadmap.
“I think you’re going to see that in the next 12 months,” said Spencer. “I don’t think anything is going to stop us from doing that.”
While it’s still unclear when this would happen, it would make sense for this streaming app to also make its way to Xbox consoles.
Beyond saying that an Xbox TV app is coming, no additional details were provided. Previously, rumours regarding an Xbox ‘Streaming Stick’ have appeared, though at least so far, a device like this hasn’t been officially revealed.
Currently, Xbox Game Streaming is only available on Android, though an iOS browser-based version is confirmed to be in the works. While I really like xCloud, it can’t stream titles directly to the Xbox Series X, the iPhone, the iPad, or even a television, which has resulted in me using the platform far less than I expected when it first launched.
During the interview, Spencer also discusses how Microsoft ultimately decided to release two next-gen consoles because the company wanted to reach a broader audience than what Sony is targeting with the PlayStation 5. Microsoft released the $379 Xbox Series S as a more affordable alternative to Sony’s all-in, high-end next-gen console direction, says Spencer.
You can find The Verge‘s full written interview with Phil Spencer at this link.
Source: The Verge