Multiplayer player cloud gaming

Chris.Phelan · Dec 29, 2022

In November 2022 I signed up for a trial of XBox Game Pass Ultimate, with a specific interest in cloud gaming.

I borrowed an XBox controller and was delighted to play Formula One 2021 as it would make an ideal present for my 14 year old. I noted with interest that the game supported 'split screen' mode for multiplayer, though with only one controller I couldn't try that.

Impressed, I bought 2 controllers as Christmas gifts for my children, and would later sign up for a full subscription.

Imagine, then, mine and my children's disappointment when we paired both controllers with a laptop and signed in the XBox app, and tried to play split screen F1. We couldn't. It just didn't work, only one controller worked. We switched between the two controllers to make sure none was defective. Both worked.

We then tried to play Lego: Skywalker Saga only to find that, again, when the game prompted for a second player, it just didn't work. Both controllers were linked, but only one would work at any one time.

It seems that despite absolutely nothing warning about it, Xbox Cloud Gaming does not support multiple controllers.

This is, needless to say, annoying and stupid. Lego: Skywalker Saga does NOT support online multiplayer, so it would not help to pay for a second subscription and use the second controller on another device. It is literally not possible to play multiplayer games with Cloud Gaming, but absolutely NOTHING warns you about this.

I feel cheated, particularly as this isn't a technical issue - both controllers work and are simultaneously linked to the device: it is an XBox Cloud Gaming *policy* decision to do this.

Will Cloud Gaming ever support multiple controllers so that local multiplayer split screen games can be played?

Why does nothing explain to consumers that this is the case?

As I say, it feels like I've been scammed, and I am extremely disappointed and unsatisfied as a consumer. I can't believe this is what Microsoft and XBox want.

What can be done?

:)

Chris.Phelan

Following up on myself, it looks like

https://www.xbox.com/en-IE/xbox-game-pass/friends-and-family

would do it "Everyone can play at the same time, even play the same game, or play online multiplayer games together."

However it seems it is not generally available right now:

https://support.xbox.com/en-GB/help...bscriptions/xbox-game-pass-friends-family-faq

"Note Game Pass Friends & Family is only available in Colombia and Ireland at this time."

but it looks to be what I'm after:

"When you share with Friends & Family, the primary account holder and up to four additional members each get their own unique access to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate games, content, and benefits, regardless of what device they play on. All the people you invite can play at the same time, even the same game."

Additional

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...going-to/38a136ee-99a2-4402-bd96-aaff7ec6c9d7

Chris.Phelan

Thanks for replying. I'm a software engineer of over 40 years and understand it is more than just video transmission, but since games themselves offer local multiplayer, it's not that much of a stretch to see that multiple inputs could be readily accommodated; split screen would just be effectively two duplexes, and so long as sufficient bandwidth was available it isn't precluded in principle.

Is there anywhere to lobby for such things, or vote for desired capabilities?

Being able to actually play multiplayer-capable games with multiple players seems to me to be a pretty obvious and needed requirement...

SwordofWhedon

At this time nothing can be done

The cloud gaming experience is kept smooth by predicting what the player is likely to do. The system currently can only handle one set of inputs at a time. While this certainly may change in the future, the service is still in beta and active development.

It is not a policy decision, it is a current limitation of the technology. There's a lot more going on behind the scenes than just transmitting video

ngocphi

Nothing it all is on the developer

Only one game supports local coop and that thr guest account halo mcc

As cloud requires you to sign in online it's not possible for non subscriber accounts to roam

Your best option other play on your pc if availavble to install or a console

Mauro Sarlat

Hi Melkhiguy.

My name is Mauro and am glad to assist you.

Unfortunately Xbox Cloud Gaming or XCLOUD does not support local multiplayer not only with Samsung gaming hub but all devices with XCLOUD as it is limited to single player only, we are sorry for the inconvenience.

"Note Cloud gaming does not support local multiplayer. Currently, it only supports one player and one account at a time."

Source:
https://support.xbox.com/en-IN/help...ing-console-game-from-cloud-versus-installing

Thanks,
Mauro

Multiplayer player cloud gaming