As of today, it’s now possible in some territories to launch Xbox Cloud games from Bing or Microsoft Edge. First spotted by Windows Central, members of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can type a game into the browser’s search bar.
Since launching games on a system can sometimes be a whole ordeal, reducing friction makes it quicker for those searching for a game to be converted into players. It also puts Bing on parity with Edge, which has had the feature available on iOS devices for some time since Apple won’t allow a native Game Pass app.
Searching for games via Bing also has the added benefit of receiving digital points, which can then be redeemed for gift vouchers in other rewards. With several Bing searches, it may be possible for Game Pass Ultimate to pay for itself.
“Xbox play anywhere” is starting to be quite literal
Bringing in more audiences to Game Pass and its additional services has become an important part in Microsoft’s game business. Earlier today, it was announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming would make its way to Meta’s VR Quest headsets.
Xbox Cloud Gaming will also be a part of Google’s upcoming slate of cloud-optimized Chromebooks, and a new handheld from Logitech.
That Bing and Microsoft Edge can now access the Cloud Gaming library show that Xbox is experimenting with how to make the service appeal to a wider audience.
Earlier in the year, Xbox confirmed the existence of a streaming stick known as “Keystone” that would be low-cost and allow someone to access the Cloud library by plugging it into a TV. While Keystone is still being iterated upon, it’s clear that Microsoft wants to make launching a game as painless as possible.
At the rate things are going, it may soon be possible to play Cloud Gaming titles on Notepad.