Project xCloud is key to Microsoft’s strategy for reaching gamers everywhere, but first it needs to meet the needs of developers. And to that end, the software giant has listened to feedback and is focusing on improving very specific areas of the coming service.

“At GDC 2019 we gave a sneak peek at how developers can enhance their games for a streaming experience by making them cloud aware,” Microsoft’s Allan Poore writes. “Since then we have learned a great deal about what developers need and how to help them tailor their games for this new environment. Taking these learnings, we have been focused on improving three key areas.”

Those three areas are:

Input. Project xCloud will support touch overlays control and native touch interaction so that developers can offer natural interactivity for their games when a controller is not available.

Screen sizes. Games played on mobile devices with small screens impact playability because the onscreen text is hard to see. So developers will be able to adjust the size of text and other game elements when played on those devices to make games more playable. “We now have APIs that provide device-side characteristics such as screen size that enable to you correctly make those adjustments,” Poore explains.

Network. Streaming a game completely from the cloud introduces new issues, especially in multiplayer games where different players have different quality network connections. So Microsoft is providing APIs for managing connection state and server locations, and a set of tools that allow developers to simulate different network conditions.

Developers interested in learning more can check out the Project xCloud developer website and these on-demand videos

Building a best-in-class game streaming experience for your players on Project xCloud

Project xCloud Journey and Learnings