Xbox Cloud Streaming is available to use on Meta Quest 2 and 3 from today

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The Xbox Cloud Streaming app makes Xbox Game Pass
The Xbox Cloud Streaming app makes Xbox Game Pass' vast catalogue of games to Meta quest users. (Image: Meta)

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can enjoy all the benefits of playing games without the need for an Xbox, thanks to a new beta app available on Meta Quest VR headsets.

Microsoft’s push to get Xbox Game Pass on every screen possible is valiantly rolling on. Heck, it was only earlier this week that Xbox’s chief financial officer, Tim Stuart, floated the idea of an ad-supported tier eventually being introduced to appeal to even more audiences. Today, however, players with a Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest 3 headset have woken up to discover a new way to play, thanks to the addition of a new beta app for Xbox Cloud Streaming.

The Xbox Cloud Streaming app is now available on all of Meta’s portable VR headset devices – including even the Meta Quest Pro – to let players with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription play the vast catalogue of games in the comfort of their home on a virtual 2D screen. All you need to do is ensure your Meta Quest headset is updated to the latest software, log into the app using your Xbox account, pair the headset with a supported controller, and then off you go.

The full details of the Xbox Cloud Streaming beta app were fully detailed in a post on Meta’s blog, where it was revealed Xbox subscribers would be able to “choose from four different display sizes” within a virtual space. Using it means you’ll still be able to see your home’s surroundings thanks to the Meta Quest 3 and Pro’s full-colour external passthrough cameras, very much mimicking the act of playing on your Xbox Series X|S at home – except without the need for a console or TV.

Taking over

Obviously, the big boon here is the ability to play Xbox Game Pass anywhere you want, on the go, without the need for a console or screen. That said, the titles being played through Xbox Cloud Streaming do mean that a strong internet connection will be needed at all times, with Meta recommending a 20Mbps connection at the bare minimum. This will be more than attainable, though, even for households without a fibre internet plan.

PSVR 2 is already losing to the Meta Quest 2 in the VR headset battle qhidddiqxqituinvPSVR 2 is already losing to the Meta Quest 2 in the VR headset battle

The Xbox Cloud Streaming beta app for Meta Quest devices is yet more proof of Microsoft’s plan to get Xbox Game Pass on every screen possible. Seeing as, in this instance, all that’s required is a solid internet connection rather than downloading the games natively, it’s not impossible to see a reality where the subscription services come to Nintendo or PlayStation devices; the platforms would simply just need to agree to it (though they likely never would).

While this app removes the high barriers to entry that are an Xbox Series X|S console and TV, however, it still requires players to purchase either a Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest 3 headset, which are still relatively pricey. That said, for existing owners of these headsets, or for players thinking about investing in one soon, the Xbox Cloud Streaming app coming to Meta Quest devices is a nice added bonus.

Aaron Potter

Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 2, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox

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