Microsoft Edge is Windows’ default browser, but many users often opt to use others, such as Firefox or Google Chrome. The company even made it more difficult to switch to other browsers, before changing its mind after public criticism. Microsoft is now giving people, or at least gamers, a reason to use Edge with one feature other browsers lack.
Today, Microsoft announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming has partnered with Microsoft Edge to create an improved Xbox Cloud Gaming experience on the browser. According to Milena Gonzalez, program manager at Xbox, a new feature called Clarity Boost will provide "the optimal look and feel while playing Xbox games from the cloud."
"Today, we are excited to invite you to experience Clarity Boost, one of the latest cloud gaming optimizations available on Microsoft Edge Canary," said Gonzalez on Xbox's news blog. "This feature uses a set of client-side scaling improvements to improve the visual quality of the video stream."
Below is an example of Clarity Boost in action.
To try Clarity Boost, you’ll need to download and install Microsoft Edge Canary. To confirm you’re in Microsoft Edge Canary, go to edge:settings/help and ensure you’re on version 96.0.1033.0 or later. To enable Clarity Boost, go to www.xbox.com/play and login and start a game. Open the more actions (...) menu and select the Clarity Boost option. You’ll find more details on how to enable Clarity Boost in the Xbox Insiders Reddit.
Since Clarity Boost is a client-side feature, don’t expect to see it on other browsers. After all, Microsoft wants to keep users in its ecosystem. If nothing else, this now gives us a legitimate reason to use Microsoft Edge. Clarity Boost will be available to all Microsoft Edge users by next year.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is part of the $15 a month subscription service, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The service lets users download over 400 games to Xbox consoles and PC. Xbox Cloud Gaming allows folks to stream many of those same games to Android devices and non-gaming PCs. The service is ideal for those who travel frequently and users who may not be able to get their hands on or afford an Xbox Series X console or gaming PC. With a solid internet connection, streaming games on the service works just as well as playing games locally. As Tom’s Guide Senior Editor, Marshall Honorof said in a recent opinion piece, Xbox cloud gaming works so well, it could make consoles superfluous.
