Microsoft Flight Simulator has propelled the growth of Xbox Cloud Gaming

Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly known as Project xCloud) is one of Microsoft’s new standout offerings. The driving force behind it is to give existing PC/Xbox users seamless access to some of their favorite titles while also allowing anyone to play the hit titles wherever they want. It has been proven true for that Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The critically-acclaimed emulator launched on Xbox Cloud Gaming in March and has since become one of the most played titles. In fact, Microsoft Flight Simulator eventually became the most popular title on the service that same month.

Servers and web surfers in the cloud

Microsoft revealed this exciting new piece of information in a recent blog post on the main Xbox News site. There, Catherine Gluckstein, vice president and head of product, Xbox Cloud Gaming, explained that the company’s mission is to “empower people around the world to play the games they want, with the people they love. want, on a device they already own. We call this Xbox Everywhere”.

Gluckstein went on to mention that Microsoft has “invested heavily in the cloud” for the benefit of both players and game creators. Essentially, the cloud is similar to a symbiotic relationship. Cloud gaming allows anyone to play, meaning creators have the potential to reach a wider audience as hardware requirements are lowered.

How can that fact be explained? Microsoft Flight Simulator proved to be very successful on Xbox Cloud Gaming in March. Its arrival on the service allows players to access not only on mobile devices, like the Steam Deck, but also through streaming setups. More systems like Xbox One, Mac, and PC can’t support sims due to power limitations and incompatibility.

No binding on goods

Since day one, Microsoft Flight Simulator proven to be able to put even beefy rigs to the test. To this day, it remains a difficult title to run smoothly. Legal Xbox Cloud players never have to think twice about it, though. This is in stark contrast to the situation on PC, where there’s a seemingly never-ending stream of posts asking “can I run this?” and try different edits to get the best frame rate.

Going back to Gluckstein’s post, although she doesn’t reveal the exact number of players Microsoft Flight Simulator generated, she mentions some interesting statistics. In the currently 26 supported countries, users have accessed the service on “6,000 types of devices”, resulting in “more than 10 million people around the world” being able to stream the game.

Developers are treating the cloud versions of their games as a separate entity, thus ensuring full compatibility. For example, Asobo Studios has promised that they are looking to enable keyboard-mouse functionality for the cloud version of the game soon. Microsoft Flight Simulator shortly after Xbox Cloud engineers made it a full-service feature. This will further enhance the experience for many games when streamed via computer, especially for a game such as Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The fact that Xbox Cloud Gaming is bundled as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service means that Microsoft is making sure as many people as possible have access to its library of titles. This allows it to play in markets that its competitors do not currently occupy. While Sony is targeting a similar consumer base with a new cloud service that allows PC players to stream PS5/PS4 titles.

In general, the more options consumers have, the more they benefit when they choose the options that work best for them. And the more players any game has, the longer it’s likely to get support. But, for a title like Microsoft Flight Simulatorthe latter is less of a concern seeing that its support has been promised to run for about the next decade.