Microsoft announced along with all their awesome new exclusives and Xbox 360 backwards compatibility, that you will be able to stream all those games to your Windows 10 PC and Oculus Rift when Windows 10 is released this July. Preview members finally got a glimpse of this grand new feature and I took it for a test drive.
My Environment
I am running a custom build PC with an FX8320 Octacore CPU and a R9 270X GPU over a 100Mbps Wireless Network. The network hub is in another room roughly 10 meters away. I’m running Windows 10 build 10130 and the latest Xbox Beta app. Controller is plugged into the PC via USB cable.
Experience
When running the Xbox app from Windows 10 and you connect your Xbox One to the system via the button prompt (all is wireless through the local network), you’ll see two new options on the Connect Screen. Test Streaming will test your network to see if it is capable of running the new Streaming feature and the ‘Streaming’ button completely streams your Xbox One dashboard to your PC if you want to use some of the apps on the console.
When you go back to the home screen where the list of games are, and click on a specific game (in my case Forza Motorsport 5) you will see the standard achievements screen and more. At the top you’ll see the ‘Play from Console’ button. Clicking this will open up the game on your console and stream the visuals directly to your PC. I recorded the gameplay footage using the Xbox apps built in recording feature on high quality.
There was several times during the gameplay that I noticed artifacts and audio interruptions but that speaks more about my network set up. I’m sure Wired connections will not have any of these issues, while wireless connections are prone to speed issues due to several factors. The input was responsive and there was zero delay that I’ve noticed, unlike some streaming services, you won’t have to adjust your gameplay to ensure that you’re accurate.
Besides the lower resolution output thanks to my network, and the artifacts the gameplay was smooth. I would suggest that you invest in a decent router or a wired network if you’re planning on getting this for your home. You’ll finally be able to play your favorite Halo maps on your surface tablet. And who doesn’t like that idea. The entire experience is straight forward and easy to understand.
The final release for this feature will be with Windows 10 coming July 29th.
