Developers are using Project xCloud to remotely access Xbox dev kits

Gears 5
Gears 5 (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Due to the global pandemic, many developers are still working from home.
  • Microsoft is allowing developers to use a low latency version of Project xCloud to remotely access Xbox dev kits.
  • Studios using this technology include Ninja Theory, Rare and Infinity Ward.

The global pandemic has introduced a whole host of challenges for game studios as many developers are continuing to work from home. Today, Microsoft detailed a new it is enabling developers by allowing them to access Xbox Development Kits through Project xCloud. By accessing the PC Content Test App (PC CTA) developers can use their dev kits through a 60 FPS version of Project xCloud with low latency.

Many of the developers using this are part of Xbox Game Studios, such as Ninja Theory, Playground Games, Rare, Turn 10 Studios and Undead Lab. Some third-party companies are also using this technology though, including Eidos-Montréal and Infinity Ward.

Sean Davies, technical director at Rare, mentioned that testing builds became extremely difficult when working from from and that by using this new Project xCloud PC CTA, testing builds has gone back to normal and whenever something went wrong, the team now has "...the flexibility to react when something goes wrong."

New games are continually being added to Project xCloud on Android, including Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Project xCloud will join Xbox Game Pass, which has over 10 million subscribers, in some capacity later in 2020.

Samuel Tolbert
Freelance Writer

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.