It appears that Xbox Cloud Gaming is getting an upgrade, and will support the so-called early access periods for games starting with Xbox Game Studios and Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight.
This comes via @redphx on X (Twitter), known for their work on Better xCloud, a free tool that aims to improve the experience of using Xbox Cloud Gaming across different devices.
The developer shared details on Tuesday, noting that Xbox Cloud Gaming now supports the early access periods for games if a player buys the higher tier edition or upgrade required.
This would indicate a fairly recent upgrade, as Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed, another Xbox first-party game, launched in February. During the early access period, Premium Edition buyers couldn’t play through Xbox Cloud Gaming, much to the chagrin of our executive editor Jez Corden.
Early access in this context refers to how the more expensive versions of a game are sometimes available earlier than the “standard” edition. Xbox games have fully embraced this trend, even allowing players to upgrade while still playing through Xbox Game Pass.
Now, I’m inclined to guess that the overwhelming majority of players who take advantage of these early access periods want to play their games natively, be it via a console or PC.
Even so, it’s better for the Xbox ecosystem for things to be coherent and consistent across the board, and that’s what this move would help bring.
If someone pays for a game and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, those features should work, especially since players are shelling out extra cash to start playing early.
Let me know if you plan on playing South of Midnight (or any other upcoming Xbox first-party games) using Xbox Cloud Gaming. I can share that I’ve played the game, so you can look forward to my review coming up once the embargo lifts.
South of Midnight is slated to launch on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC (via Steam and the Xbox PC app) on April 8, 2025. As an Xbox first-party game, the standard edition is available day one in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Early access for Premium Edition buyers is available starting April 3.