Microsoft announces Xbox One game streaming to Windows PC and tablets

At its Windows 10 event today, Microsoft announced that its Windows 10 Xbox app will support game streaming from the Xbox One console. That means that Windows 10 PCs and tablets will be able to stream games from an Xbox One console.

"WIth Windows 10, we will enable streaming Xbox One games to any Windows 10 PC or tablet in your home later this year," said Microsoft's Phil Spencer. Spencer demoed the game streaming by pulling up the Xbox app on a Surface Tablet running Windows 10. The app showed all of the games installed on an Xbox One connected to the same network. To play a game on the tablet, he right-clicked Forza and selected a "Stream from Xbox One option," then started driving with a synced Xbox One controller.

The game looked great, and is likely using a similar video encoding technique (encoding video on the host Xbox One, then decoding it on the client PC or tablet) to other streaming services like Steam's In-Home streaming. To stop playing the game, Spencer pulled up the Xbox One UI and shut off the console remotely.

It was a short demo, so we still have questions for Microsoft about how this works, and whether the Xbox One will be able to handle 1080p, 60 fps streaming to consoles.

But that entire library of exclusive Xbox One games? You'll be able to play those on any PC or tablet in your house. As long as you own an Xbox One, of course.