Steam Deck Can Now Run Xbox Cloud Gaming Service Via Edge
In a big development, Steam Deck users can finally stream and play games on the Xbox Cloud Gaming service aka XCloud. The latest Microsoft Edge beta update allows players to use this service conveniently.
Earlier, XCloud didn’t support Steam Deck controls, and hence, blocked users from a huge library of games. Fortunately, the new beta of Edge fixes this and lets you use the device’s button layout without any fuss.
In a Reddit post, a Microsoft Edge community manager announced that the firm collaborated with Valve to make this possible. She confirmed that Xbox Cloud Gaming, with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, is now available through Edge on Steam Deck.
Furthermore, the post highlighted the important nature of this update, “We’re particularly excited about this ourselves as we feel it can open new opportunities in the Linux gaming community.” Head of Product & Strategy Catherine Gluckstein also shared an image showing the XCloud in action on Valve’s handheld console.
In case you need guidance for installing Edge and accessing XCloud, you can refer to the official support page. By the way, besides Xbox’s streaming service, you may access several verified Xbox Game Studios’ games that are natively supported.
Undoubtedly, this is a big boost for Steam Deck. It brings to the Linux-based platform a slew of games that don’t require downloading and storage space. Additionally, since these XCloud games aren’t run but only streamed to your device, you also avoid relying on or using Steam Deck’s resources intensively. This, in turn, could help get better gaming performance and extend the handheld’s battery life as well.
