Microsoft reportedly working on next-gen, streaming-only Xbox

MANILA, Philippines – With the lifespan of the current console generation nearing its inevitable end, the race to develop and release the next-generation of consoles begins.

It was previously hinted that Microsoft is working on a family of devices, instead of just a single one. A new report from tech podcaster Thurrott seems to confirm this suggesting that one of the devices currently in development is a streaming-only Xbox console called “Scarlett Cloud”.

The cloud console is said to be a lower-powered device built specifically for game streaming. It will have just enough local computing power for controller input, image processing, and collision detection. This also means the console will cost less compared to other next-generation consoles at launch.

Microsoft reportedly thinks it has worked out how to handle the latency sensitive aspects of gaming.

According to The Verge, Microsoft plans to establish data centers capable of powering the cloud servers needed for game streaming. The software giant will then invite developers to build their games on the cloud server, referred to as “XCloud”, when it launches.

Fans of traditional gaming consoles need not worry as Microsoft will still release a next-generation Xbox that run games locally. Specs for this console are still unknown.

While the cloud console is said to be further along its development cycle than the traditional console, Microsoft is expected to launch both consoles by 2020. – Rappler.com