This should be game streaming’s moment. It's not | Opinion
Earlier this week, there was a ripple of excitement among long-suffering Xbox fans over news that the platform had struck an exclusive deal for the streaming rights to Grand Theft Auto VI – suggesting that while the game would launch on both PlayStation and Xbox, Microsoft’s Xcloud service would be the only place you could stream it, at least initially. Read more
This recent report on the exclusive deal for streaming GTA 6 on the Xbox platform has generated excitement among long-suffering Xbox fans. However, the news was quickly debunked by Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball, who clarified that the game would be available for streaming on other platforms as well as on PC. The report raises questions about the potential for game streaming to capitalize on the biggest game launch of the year, given the outsized share of preorder numbers for GTA 6 held by PlayStation.
The high prices of console hardware and stock shortages in the market could be the perfect scenario for game streaming, as it would allow players to stream the game without purchasing expensive hardware. However, the current reality of streaming services is not looking promising, with strict caps on streaming usage for Game Pass subscribers and a shift in focus towards renting out cloud infrastructure for AI systems.
The enthusiasm for game streaming as a major pillar for the industry seems to have faded, leaving the idea more of a questionable business model with numbers that don't add up.
Written by urgent.news from GamesIndustry's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
