Xbox Cloud Gaming hits the Windows 10 Xbox app, but only for a select few

Earlier this year, Microsoft rolled out the Xbox Cloud Gaming beta on Windows 10 PCs and iOS. At first, Xbox Cloud Gaming was available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers through browser-based streaming, but today, we’re seeing Microsoft bring cloud gaming to the Xbox app on Windows 10 PCs. Unfortunately, this functionality is only available for a select number of users.

If you’ve been around for a while, you already know who those select users are. They’re Xbox Insiders, who receive beta features for testing before they roll out to all users. On Xbox Wire today, Microsoft announced that it’s launching Xbox Cloud Gaming to the Xbox app on PC to Insiders in 22 different countries.

So, for an Insider launch, this is a pretty big one. If you’re an Insider who is getting this functionality today, all you need to do to tap into it is connect a controller to your PC – either wired or Bluetooth – open up the Xbox app, click the newly-added “cloud games” button, and then select the game you want to play.

Microsoft makes no indication of when support for cloud streaming through the Xbox app will launch for all PC players. Still, it probably isn’t too far off considering how many countries Microsoft is launching this Insider preview in. For now, though, Ultimate subscribers who aren’t Insiders are limited to playing their cloud games through their browsers.

Xbox Cloud Gaming has seen a rather large expansion in recent months, and the fact that it’s now available on iOS is quite impressive when you consider that an iOS launch for Xbox Game Pass looked pretty grim at one point. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for more on Cloud Gaming through the Xbox app, and we’ll update you when Microsoft reveals more.