Microsoft Project xCloud Public Preview Begins in Select Regions, New Message Filtration Feature to Roll Out in Xbox Live

Microsoft has announced a Project xCloud public preview for Xbox users in US, UK, and South Korea. The company is looking to test the service with a broader audience, in different networks and regions, and is inviting people to test out the beta in these regions only. Separately, Microsoft has also introduced new Message Safety Settings in Xbox Live to evade toxic and trolling online. It will roll out text-based filters for messages on Xbox Live, and offensive messages will appear with a warning over them.

Talking about Projec xCloud public preview, the game streaming service is currently offering select games like Gears 5, Halo 5: Guardians, Killer Instinct, and Sea of Thieves in the beta phase. Required technicalities include a Microsoft account, an Android phone or tablet running Android 6.0 or above, Bluetooth 4.0 support, and a Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controller.

“Public preview is a critical phase in our multi-year ambition to deliver game streaming globally at the scale and quality of experience that the gaming community deserves and expects. It's time to put Project xCloud to the test in a broader capacity, with a range of gamers, devices, network environments and real-world use-case scenarios, and this is where you come in,” says Kareem Choudhry, Microsoft's cloud gaming chief in a blog post.

The Project xCloud content will be available via the new Microsoft Game Streaming app, available in the coming weeks for Android devices. It'll be available for all to download, but you'll only be able to sign in once you've received an official invite into the preview. Microsoft also says that it is working with SK Telecom in Korea, T-Mobile in the US, and Vodafone in the UK to learn more about gaming on mobile networks. All the registration details for Project xCloud are available in the post.

Separately, Microsoft is enabling new automated text filtration capabilities to Xbox Live. The filtration will begin with private messages, and will expand over time to profiles, LFG, Clubs, and Activity Feed. This feature will allow you to set specific levels of automated filtration so you can decide what's acceptable and what isn't in the text-based messages you receive across Xbox Live. Filter levels come in four tiers – Friendly, Medium, Mature and Unfiltered.

The company has added a lot of customisation to these message filter, for example, it lets you keep the filters off completely when text messages are received from friends, and lets you keep the filters on for ‘Message Requests'. This new setting can be found on Settings > General > Online safety & family > Message safety.

All messages that violate Microsoft's standards are replaced with a [Potentially offensive message hidden] placeholder. Adult accounts will have the ability to choose whether to see what content has been filtered based on the filter they choose. These settings work across Xbox One, Xbox Game Bar, the new Xbox App on Windows 10, and the Xbox Mobile app.