Big news for the next Steam Deck! According to Xbox Boss Phil Spencer, streaming Steam Deck games with the xCloud game streaming service works like a charm.
For those unfamiliar, xCloud is an abbreviated term for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Just recently, Microsoft released the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate which gives PC gamers access to a library of Xbox titles. The beauty of xCloud is that PC owners don’t necessarily need console-level hardware to enjoy the console experience. Since the Steam Deck is essentially a mini PC, it’s possible it’s running xCloud’s gaming service.
Been @valvesoftware this week talking with Scott, Erik, Gabe from Steam Deck. After having mine for most of the week, I can say that it is a very nice device. Games with me on the go, screen size, controls are perfect. Playing Halo and Age feels good, xCloud works well. Congratulations to the SD team. pic.twitter.com/q4hWBvkk85
—Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) August 13, 2021
We confirm all this information in Phil Spencer’s tweet, where he mentions that he visited Valve to test the Steam Deck. He goes on to exclaim about his penchant for the device while praising the laptop PC. In the last part of Spencer’s tweet, he says that xCloud is working fine on the Steam Deck. During testing, Microsoft’s executive vice president of games played Halo, an Xbox exclusive.
This marks xCloud as the first game streaming service confirmed to be compatible with the Steam Deck. It’s exciting to know that we’ll finally be able to play fan-favorite Xbox exclusive titles on the go now. While not technically Xbox’s direct handheld system, at least Xbox has finally entered the handheld community in its own way. Steam Deck is now available for pre-order with a deposit price of $5. Expect to receive your Steam Deck in December 2021.
