Microsoft's goal is to bring its Xbox Cloud gaming service to as many devices as possible, but the actual Xbox consoles weren't part of the equation until recently. Now, the gaming giant has announced that it plans to bring Project xCloud to Xbox X|S... and, surprisingly, Xbox One.

Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming, Coming to Consoles Soon

Microsoft made the announcement on Xbox Wire. It's welcome news for cloud gamers everywhere, as the service will soon arrive on every current-gen Xbox console. Interestingly, it's also arriving on the console from the last generation, the Xbox One.

From the looks of the screenshots and Microsoft's description, it appears that the Xbox Cloud service on a console will look and feel like it does on every other device. When you want to play a game on the cloud, just head to the Xbox Game Pass library and fire up the game you want to play.

You don't need to download anything or buy the game you want to stream, although you will need to be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber to use the service. Microsoft states that the service will arrive on consoles "this holiday."

Why Is Microsoft Bringing Cloud Gaming to Xbox Consoles?

It may sound a little confusing that Microsoft made this decision. After all, a major point of the Xbox Cloud service is that it allows people to play graphically intense games on systems that can't support them natively.

It started with a mobile app for gaming on the go, giving Android phones the power to play Xbox games on the cloud. Xbox Cloud gaming then spread to PCs to allow low-spec computers to play modern blockbusters without breaking a sweat.

So why is Microsoft bringing the same service to consoles? Well, in the case of the Xbox Series S and Xbox One, they aren't as powerful as the Xbox Series X. As such, bringing Xbox Cloud gaming to these consoles allows players to get Xbox Series X-grade graphics on a less powerful system.

But why is it on the Xbox Series X, too? This is where a different joy of cloud gaming comes into play. Because the games are on the cloud, you don't need to download any files before you can stream a game. And because you don't need to download anything, you can play as many games as you like without worrying about your system's hard drive space.

As such, if you want to play the newest games on the highest graphical fidelity, or you're having a difficult time fitting any more games on your packed hard drive, keep an eye out when Xbox Cloud gaming lands on your console this holiday season.

All Devices Under One Cloud

While it may seem odd that Microsoft is bringing cloud gaming services to its consoles, there are good reasons why someone would opt to stream a game instead of downloading it. It shouldn't be too long now until Xbox gamers can play their games on the cloud, no matter what device they're using.

In fact, you may not even need an Xbox console in the future. Microsoft is working closely with smart TV manufacturers to bring Xbox Cloud gaming directly to your screen; no console is required.