Microsoft is enhancing its Xbox ecosystem by rolling out updates to its Xbox PC app and Xbox consoles, allowing cloud-streamed games to sync across multiple devices. This new feature introduces a “play history” section.
The update enables cloud-playable titles to appear within the play history and library sections of the Xbox PC app. According to Lily Wang, Product Manager of Xbox Experiences, “This includes all cloud playable titles, even console exclusives spanning from the original Xbox to Xbox Series X|S, whether you own the title or access it through Game Pass.” Games played via the cloud will be listed in the recent games list and be playable through Xbox Cloud Gaming on Windows, with cloud-powered game saves. Users can find cloud-playable games using a new filter in the library section of the Xbox PC app.
A new “play history” section will be added at the end of the “jump back in” list on the app’s home screen. Wang explained, “While the large tiles highlight games you’ve recently played on your current device, the play history tile shows games you’ve played across any Xbox device, making it easy to pick up where you left off.” This functionality is also being implemented on the main Xbox console interface.
The integration of play history across devices hints at future possibilities, including the potential for PC games to be listed and playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming. Internal communications from the 2023 FTC v. Microsoft case revealed that Microsoft has been exploring streaming PC games over the cloud. Industry observers anticipate that as Microsoft continues to converge its Xbox and PC ecosystems for next-generation consoles, Xbox Cloud Gaming may expand to support PC titles and offer improved bitrates and resolutions.
