Microsoft is getting ready to launch its xCloud game streaming service later this year as part of Xbox Game Pass. The service will initially be powered by Xbox One S consoles in server blades in Microsoft’s datacenters, but the software giant is planning to upgrade this hardware next year. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that testing has already begun on upgraded xCloud servers, and that Microsoft is even experimenting with dedicated PC server blades for streaming PC games over xCloud.
Microsoft will use its new Xbox Series X hardware in xCloud servers next year, and it provides some big performance gains for its cloud streaming efforts, particularly on the CPU side. This next-gen processor is far more powerful and…