Well, how about a fridge? One prospecting YouTuber (VapingwithTwisted420) published a video along with a photo on Instagram showing Xbox Cloud Gaming running on his Samsung fridge. If you are unfamiliar with Xbox Cloud Gaming, it was previously known as Project xCloud, which is frankly a cooler name. Either way, it is a streaming service that allows users to stream Xbox games to their devices, including Android smartphones. Because Microsoft Azure servers do all the heavy lifting, underpowered devices are able to run Xbox console titles. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGQoq2HpHKS/ Android is the key in this story, as is Samsung’s Tizen software. These days, smart appliances can come with screens and full OS experiences. Companies like LG use Android, whereas Samsung uses its own Tizen software. Microsoft has not said if xCloud runs on Tizen or not, but it seems it does not natively. However, Tizen does allow Android applications to work on the platform. And that’s how VapingWithTwisted420 managed to get Xbox Cloud Gaming on his Samsung fridge.
Spreading Out
While this is a fun showcase, it highlights the potential of Project xCloud to truly make the Xbox brand universal. Microsoft recently launched the service in general availability on Android after around a year of previews. Because Android is ubiquitous across hardware, the potential is big. For example, it is expected Microsoft will soon confirm Xbox Cloud Gaming will work on Android TVs. However, Apple’s iOS is proving more problematic. Microsoft was running xCloud in preview on the platform, but removed the app in August. The company feels Apple’s strict revenue rules make xCloud impossible on the App Store. Last week, we reported Microsoft could instead deliver the service to iOS users through a web browser version.
