American software giant Microsoft announced on Monday that it has brought xCloud to Windows PCs with the Xbox app. According to The Verge, the Xbox Insiders will be able to access a new updated Xbox app with Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) built in it. To access Xbox games from a Windows 10 PC, a user would require a compatible controller connected via Bluetooth or USB, much like how xCloud works through the web. Reportedly, the updated Xbox app will include a new “cloud games” section, with access to all of the same games available on xCloud on the web. The Verge quoted Jason Beaumont, a partner director of Xbox experiences saying, “We’ve also added some new features to help you get started, including easy-to-access information on the controller and network status, social features to stay connected with friends, and the ability to invite people – even those also playing on the cloud without the game installed – to join you in a game.” The users will be able to access the new Xbox app in 22 different countries by signing up to the ‘Windows Gaming’ feature preview in the Xbox Insider Hub app. After this, the cloud games will be available in the ‘Game Pass’ section of the app, allowing users to resume Xbox games that were started on a console or in the cloud. The Verge reported that “this new Xbox app also includes the ability to stream games from a local Xbox, allowing you to power on and off a console and play your games streamed from your own Xbox.”
Facebook’s dating service to get audio chats
Facebook Dating, the company’s dating service, doesn’t seem to be as popular as other dating applications, but the company is now introducing some new features to make it more useful for virtual dating, which has boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. As per The Verge, one of the biggest new features is audio dates, which will let users start an audio conversation with somebody they match with. When a user will try to start a call with someone, the other person will receive an invitation. If they accept, the users can have a chat. Facebook is also allowing users to set up two additional places in Facebook Dating where they want to look for matches. The feature, which Facebook calls Match Anywhere, should make it easier to match up with people who may be temporarily working or living in different places or frequently travelling between them. The company is also launching a feature called Lucky Pick, which “enables daters to consider other compatible candidates who may be outside their typical preferences,” according to Facebook communications staffer Alexandru Voica. Facebook Dating isn’t the company’s only dating app. In April, Facebook’s NPE Team, which builds experimental apps, released an app called Sparked that sets you up on four-minute video speed dates.
