Microsoft teases its next gen console, also reveals a few more Project xCloud details

Last week, Google announced a ton of new details about Stadia, its upcoming game streaming service for mobile devices and TVs that won’t require purchasing atraditional console. Today, as part of its E3 2019 press event, Microsoft announced that it was finally allowing the public to check out a demo of its own upcoming streaming service, Project xCloud at E3, and added that a full preview will launch in October, one month before Google officially launches Stadia in November.

In addition to more details on xCloud, Microsoft also teased its next-generation home console dubbed Project Scarlett.

Read more: The fine print of Google Stadia

Project xCloud preview launches in October, with demos this week at E3

Microsoft announced its plans for launching a game streaming service one year ago at its E3 2018 press event and offered more details for its service, Project xCloud, in October 2018. People who were hoping to learn a lot more about Project xCloud were likely disappointed, especially after all the details Google revealed last week about Stadia.

Microsoft did say that people who come by its E3 exhibit in Los Angeles this week will be able to demo Project xCloud live. It will be the first time the general public will be able to check out the service, and Microsoft’s press release added that the Project xCloud games will include Halo 5: Guardians and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice streaming on smartphones and tablets.

Microsoft also announced, starting in October, it will launch a full preview of Project xCloud. Users will be able to access one of Microsoft’s own cloud servers with a mobile device to try it out. Also, anyone with an Xbox One console will be able to turn it into their own personal xCloud game server. They will be able to stream their library of purchased games, along with any game available on Xbox Game Pass, to a mobile device at home.

Microsoft still has not revealed details like pricing or device support for Project Cloud. Hopefully, we will learn more before the public preview kicks off in October.

Microsoft’s “Project Scarlett” next-gen Xbox console sounds like a beast

Microsoft also revealed some tiny details Sunday about its next-generation Xbox console, which currently has the code name “Project Scarlett”. The company showed some brief glimpses of the hardware inside the console in its promo video, cut with Microsoft Xbox team members talking about the specs. It mentioned it would have a custom processor made by AMD that will use the latest Zen 2 and Radeon RDNA architecture. It will use high bandwidth GDDR6 memory and a next-gen solid state drive that can also be used for virtual memory.

Project Scarlett will also support graphics features like hardware accelerated raytracing, 8K resolution, and frame rates for games that can go up to 120fps. The console is supposed to be released sometime in “holiday 2020”. It also confirmed that the latest game in the sci-fi shooter sequel, Halo Infinite, will be a Project Scarlett launch title. Microsoft stated that the console is key to its plans for the cloud, which likely means that Project xCloud will be able to be used on Project Scarlett.