Microsoft tipped to take the streaming war to Sony

Fresh rumours suggest that Microsoft will use tonight’s Xbox reveal to announce a fresh drive toward cloud gaming.

The Wall Street Journal says that Microsoft has, amongst other things, significantly explored the possibilities of cloud gaming. The tech could be used not only to play instant on-demand back-catalogue Xbox 360 titles but also to instantly upload gameplay footage to the internet.

Both of these features, of course, have already been confirmed for PS4.

Apparently Microsoft’s attitude to streaming games has been more cautious than Sony, which paid in the region of $380m to acquire cloud gaming service Gaikai.

Microsoft, however, has been hesitant due to the costs of maintaining such a network, though sources suggest that it has persevered with its investigations.

The Wall Street Journal’s story also names a number of other possibilities mentioned by various sources. These include the long-rumoured 3D gaming glasses and the ability for users to plug their Sky or cable box directly into the Xbox, bringing the TV experience into the Xbox ecosystem.

In fact, these rumours suggest that one of Microsoft’s goals with the new Xbox is to unite the TV and gaming experience. This way gamers would be able to contact friends or send invites even when they’re watching the TV.

There’s also the chance that users will be able to tune into friend’s gameplay sessions and watch them live.