Xbox Cloud Gaming is finally rolling out big latency improvements
Direct Capture is coming
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Microsofthas detailed its work on latency improvements for games on the cloud-based platform. And what’s more, mouse and keyboard support is still due to come later this year.
At present,Xbox Cloud Gaming’s display pipeline bears a latency of around 8-74 milliseconds. That’s the time it takes for controller inputs to register in-game. However, it’s now working on bringing its Direct Capture tech to a wider number of games on the service. This will cut latency to an impressively low 2-12 milliseconds, according to thelatest updatefrom Xbox Game Streaming Team’s Morgan Brown.
Similarly to many of thebest 4K TVs, Direct Capture slashes latency by disabling a number of features. These includeHDR, dynamic scaling and a 1440p resolution cap. That last one we won’t have to worry about just yet. Xbox Cloud Gaming is capped to 1080p on PC andXbox Series X|S, and 720p on mobile at present.
Microsoft has also reinforced its desire tobring mouse and keyboard supportto Xbox Cloud Gaming. Brown, a software engineer on the team says that Xbox is “working on adding it to streaming for PC users.” Frustratingly, though, we still have no firm date on when mouse and keyboard support will land.
The baffling omission means that currently, PC players are relegated to using a controller on the streaming service. Additionally, it’ll likely mean that mouse and keyboard-based games onXbox Game PasslikeAge of Empires 4will finally be made available via the cloud.
Growing pains
Direct Capture is already supported by a handful of games on the Xbox Cloud Gaming service. But we’re happy to see Microsoft start to roll the feature out to a wider selection of titles. However, limitations like disabling HDR and scaling very much show that even the best cloud gaming services are still in their infancy.
We’re not going to pour cold water on Microsoft’s efforts here, though. Lower latency is crucial in competitive multiplayer environments where responsiveness gives players an advantage.
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Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.
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