In its ongoing bid to take the integration of Xbox and Discord to the next level, Microsoft is launching a new feature: the ability for Xbox users to stream their gameplay directly to Discord. This recent development marks a significant shift in the console gaming ecosystem, narrowing the gap between PC and console streaming capabilities.
A year after Discord added voice chat integration to Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One consoles, the company has announced that it will soon empower Xbox owners to stream their gameplay directly on its platform, a feature that was reserved for PC and mobile users.
Gamers will soon be able to utilize this function to share gaming feats and seek advice from friends for challenging tasks or boss battles. Available initially for members of the Xbox Insider program, the full release is expected soon.
Microsoft’s new “stream your game” option is built into the Parties & Chats section of the Xbox dashboard, simplifying the process for gamers. Once connected to a Discord server, users can easily stream their gameplay, while also customizing their stream settings.
Unfortunately, this exciting new capability is a one-way street as of now, meaning Xbox users can’t view streams from their friends broadcasting on Discord. Yet, given the consistent improvements in Xbox and Discord integration, there’s a glimmer of hope for future enhancements, including the ability to view Discord streams on Xbox and perhaps participate in text chats.
This feature not only allows users to stream gameplay of their Xbox games with their friends in a private or group DM, or an entire Discord server but also enhances the experience for Discord Nitro subscribers. They will be able to stream their Xbox games on Discord in up to 1080p resolution, offering improved framerates.
To start streaming, users must first connect their Discord account and Xbox profile through the app’s “connections” menu in settings. Once connected, they can access the “Parties and Chats” tab, select Discord and pick a server. Joining a voice channel gives the option to “stream your game.”
It’s clear that this new addition reinforces Discord’s relationship with Microsoft’s gaming console. In spite of this one-way streaming limitation, this step holds significant implications for the future of console gaming and its convergence with chat platforms.
Alongside this, the ability to stream gameplay to a smaller group via a DM call or group DM is an option as well. Users will need to initiate the stream from the call on the Discord app by choosing “transfer to Xbox.”
Discord’s recent moves hint towards a broader vision for platform integration. Earlier this year, Sony added support for the Discord voice chat on PS5.
In a gaming world where players dream of unrestricted cross-platform play, Discord is progressively bridging the gap, even welcoming a significant investment from Sony.
It remains to be seen what’s next for Microsoft’s plans for streaming on Discord. But, for now, this is welcome news after a series of complaints emerged online regarding the long queue times faced by Xbox Cloud Gaming users.
