Are you the kind of forward-thinking, early-adopting gamer who has both Windows 10 and Xbox One’s Preview build running? Then you are one of the select few who can begin taking advantage of game streaming to your PC. This is, however, just one of the big changes that Microsoft has announced at E3 this year. So while Preview users can expect to begin trying out new services immediately, the rest of us won’t have long to wait until our Xbox consoles can do a lot more than they once could.
Game streaming is undoubtedly the biggest announcement made in relation to the Preview platform, as it means that those who would rather play their games on their fancy monitor may do so. Some may question why that would ever be a better choice than a giant TV, but to answer that question they only need to look at the versatility of a system not tied to a single screen, like the Wii U.
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Is your significant other using the TV? Play your games on your PC. Want to stay in touch with friends over Steam chat or other services, but still want to play Xbox Games? You get where we’re going with this.
The only downside for now is that the big advantage of streaming a game on a platform like the PC – using a mouse and keyboard for inputs – is disabled. This isn’t a permanent restriction, but one that will be in place for now, so don’t expect to be able to login and decimate your FPS buddies who are languishing with a controller; you’ll be using one too.
Streaming also disables other similar functions, like broadcasting via Twitch or recording gameplay, so you may need a PC alternative if those are things you wish to engage in. PCs have had that sort of functionality for over a decade, though, so that shouldn’t be difficult.
