![]() ![]() It will also open up technology that will provide better rendering, better voice communication and tighter AI coupling, which are all part of online gaming and could broaden the feature set for desktop users as well, as Microsoft moves to make use of that otherwise-unused gaming capability in their desktop effort. So, the result of the xCloud effort is that it will drive needed performance and latency improvements that will benefit the Windows Virtual Desktop effort and reduce the cost of both by providing a path to full utilization of the hardware. This usage model should help reduce the cost, and therefore the price, for both groups (which is generally the same group, just doing different things). In general, desktop loading would occur during work and school hours while game loading will occur after work or school hours…allowing the flexible use of the same hardware. On that last, the loading times are almost exactly opposite. ![]() And because games can ramp users massively as players get home from work or school, the ability to scale up near-instantly when people come to work is also covered. To assure the xCloud effort, Microsoft will have to work to reduce latency but also to ensure it remains low regardless of system loading. It’s also forcing Microsoft to rethink the design of those servers to optimize for these heavy loads. And the loading is significant because current-generation gaming requires massive levels of performance, increasingly realistic levels of realism and increasingly powerful AIs for NPCs (non-playing characters) that will push the limits of both the network and the servers providing the service. ![]() Latency is even more problematic for MMOs (Massive Multi-Player Online games), limiting the size of groups and badly damaging the overall experience.įor cloud gaming to work, gaming latency not only needs to start low, it also needs to remain low regardless of network and system loading. You can’t be competitive with a twitch game if you have too much latency. While latency is annoying in desktop apps, in competitive eSports, it’s a deal-breaker. But the market needs something that’s a solid proof point, and that appears to be the xCloud gaming service. With 5G and WiFi 6, according to Qualcomm, both become nonissues. Thin client solutions have been around for a while, but – outside of tightly targeted groups with low-performance needs – it’s been a niche market, largely due to latency and wireless performance.
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