SKT-MS, 3.5x Increase in 7 Months with 100 5G-Based Xbox Cloud Games

[Asia Economy Reporter Joeslgina] The cloud gaming pilot service Project xCloud, jointly operated by SK Telecom and Microsoft (MS), has surpassed a total of 100 game titles.

SK Telecom announced on the 28th that four titles, including ‘Batman Arkham Knight,’ have been added to ‘xCloud,’ providing a total of 100 games through the pilot service.

xCloud, a core 5G-based service, started last October with 29 titles and increased 3.5 times to 100 titles in just seven months, significantly expanding the cloud gaming experience for customer testers.

The newly added games are 'Batman Arkham Knight,' 'Ori and the Will of the Wisps,' 'Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham,' and 'Pillars of Eternity.'

Two game titles, ‘Batman Arkham Knight’ and ‘Lego Batman 3,’ are adaptations of Warner Bros. original movies into games, expected to appeal to Korean gamers who prefer blockbuster games with stunning graphics.

According to xCloud usage data, 90% of domestic customer testers used games they had never played before for the first time through xCloud. Additionally, 55% of the testers are enjoying five or more xCloud games, indicating high usability.

Karim Chowdhury, Vice President of MS, stated, “Through the pilot service, we confirmed that providing Korean users with opportunities to try various games is the core of cloud gaming.”

Currently, xCloud offers globally popular blockbuster games such as the Xbox exclusive and Metacritic-acclaimed racing game ‘Forza Horizon’ and the ‘Halo’ series, recognized by the Guinness World Records as the best video game. Also, the main title of the ‘Yakuza’ series, which surpassed 10 million cumulative sales and gained tremendous popularity, ‘Yakuza 0,’ is available through ‘xCloud.’

Customers wishing to use the pilot service can apply on the official Korean website and receive a registration email to immediately experience 100 high-definition console games for free. The xCloud app can be installed from One Store, and the list of over 100 games can be checked on the Xbox website.

Jeon Jinsu, Head of SK Telecom 5GX Service Business Division, said, "Since the launch of the xCloud pilot service last October, we have been carefully monitoring user reactions and reviews,” adding, “We plan to commercialize the best cloud gaming service in Korea by expanding blockbuster games and supporting more Korean localization.”