Microsoft's Project xCloud streaming service moves to "take-home" testing phase

Xbox's Phil Spencer has revealed Microsoft's game-streaming service, Project xCloud, has moved to its "take home" release.

We already knew that Project xCloud - a major new game-streaming service designed to bring console-quality gaming to devices such as smartphones - had begun private testing at the end of last year using mobile phones and tablets paired with Xbox controllers, but this is the first time Microsoft has publicly confirmed that tech is moving on from internal testing.

"Congrats to Project xCloud team for completing their takehome release," Spencer tweeted. "Excited to get feedback from our internal teams ahead of public trials later this year."

Moving to "take home" testing is a significant step forward for the tech, not least because moving to external environments will test the service's ability to respond to less speedy internet connections and other issues such as 4/5G strength on everyday devices.

Spencer also confirmed in the tweet that public trials of xCloud are still expected to begin later this year.

At this year's GDC there was one topic ruling the conversation; streaming services, and the arrival of Google as a player in what's now become a very tangible space. At the conference, Martin spoke to Microsoft's VP of gaming cloud Kareen Choudhry.

"In the gaming division, our goal is to reach everyone on the planet, to enable them to play the games they want when they want on the devices they want," Choudhry said at the time. "Our strategy is shifting from one that's console-centric, where step one is please buy our console and steps two through to 58 are things accessed off the console. We're starting to put the customer at the centre of what we do, and recognise that they have multiple devices, multiple lifestyles, then bring it all together in a cohesive way."