Back in the Stadia days, Google promised “a console in the cloud“. A platform, rather than a service, where users could purchase a game and start playing right away. You could earn Stadia achievements and chat with your Stadia friends. It was like a console, without the actual box. That’s one of the main reasons why many cloud gamers liked Stadia’s model so much.
With Stadia, you purchased a game, and it was technically yours. Of course, you can argue that you only get a license, like on Steam and other digital storefronts. But, you could keep playing those games until Stadia was shutdown and, thankfully, everyone got a full refund for their purchases.
Ever since Stadia shutdown, not a single cloud gaming service had the ecosystem capable of providing such a simplicity. In services like GeForce NOW and Boosteroid, you have to purchase the PC version of a game on a different storefront, and sync your accounts in order to play. At times, you’ve had to log in to those storefronts every time you played – even on your TV. Your achievements and friends list? They are likely scattered and not easy to access via the cloud apps themselves.
The same applies to Luna’s implementation of Ubisoft Connect and GOG. Years after release, Amazon Luna still doesn’t offer an achievement system or friends list of its own. These were two early criticisms we had of the service. While cloud gaming technology (including major improvements to stream fidelity) has evolved in the last couple of years, user experience has remained almost the same. Thankfully, that changes today, thanks to Xbox.
Xbox Cloud Gaming Now Allows Users to Stream Owned Games
Thanks to the latest update on Xbox Cloud Gaming, Game Pass Ultimate users can now purchase games directly from the Xbox Store, and start playing right away. This means that if a compatible game is playable via the cloud, despite not being available on Game Pass, you’ll still be able to stream it. One example is Dying Light 2, a game that has never been on Game Pass, but is now playable via Xbox Cloud.
This opens the door to a whole new market for Xbox and Microsoft. Cloud gamers that are interested in a specific title that’s not on Game Pass, will be able to purchase that game directly, and play it via the cloud. If, per chance, these users end up purchasing an Xbox, they’ll also be able to play it locally as well.
As of now, a curated list of games are compatible with Xbox Cloud Gaming. But, the service now totals well over 400 titles due to all the games on Game Pass. Of course, as Sarah Bond said after the official announcement, more games will be added periodically to the service. We are expecting thousands of purchasable games to end up available on Xbox Cloud over the next many months.
Games Available
- 7 Days to Die – Console Edition (Game Preview)
- ANIMAL WELL
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
- Balatro
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
- Cyberpunk 2077
- DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake
- DREDGE
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human
- Farming Simulator 25
- Fear the Spotlight
- FINAL FANTASY
- FINAL FANTASY II
- FINAL FANTASY III
- FINAL FANTASY IV
- FINAL FANTASY V
- FINAL FANTASY VI
- FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
- Hades
- Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions
- HITMAN World of Assassination
- Hogwarts Legacy
- House Flipper 2
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- LEGO Harry Potter Collection
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Metro Exodus
- Mortal Kombat 1
- NBA 2K25
- PGA TOUR 2K23
- Phasmophobia (Game Preview)
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Rust Console Edition
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Stray
- The Casting of Frank Stone
- The Crew Motorfest
- The Outlast Trials
- The Plucky Squire
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
- TopSpin 2K25
- Undertale
- Visions of Mana
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
- WWE 2K24
Playing Owned Games via Xbox Cloud
In order to purchase games, users will have to either browse xbox.com our navigate through the Xbox app on their devices. Personally, I recommend using dekudeals.com to filter and search deals. It’s a great tool to discover new games, and search them.
For a curated list of games playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming, independently of Game Pass, you can use our Cloud Games Catalog. There, you can filter out games by platform and services, on top of functions and other options.
Once you have purchased a game, you’ll be able to start playing right away via xbox.com/play or via the various Xbox Cloud Gaming apps that are available.
Conclusions
By allowing users to stream their owned games, Xbox Cloud Gaming is pushing cloud gaming further into the mainstream. This added flexibility could attract a new wave of players who may have been hesitant to commit to a subscription service – or invest in expensive hardware. Xbox is officially enhancing the cloud with:
- Expanded Library: No longer limited to the Game Pass catalog. Players can now access a much wider range of games they already own, regardless of Game Pass subscription status.
- Increased Flexibility: Own a game digitally but don’t have your console handy? No problem! Stream it directly to your phone, tablet, or PC.
- Potential for Future Growth: This change could pave the way for publishers to offer their games directly via cloud streaming. Potentially bypassing traditional console hardware altogether.
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