Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members have received an exciting new perk: the ability to stream games directly to their consoles without the need for downloading. This feature was announced in a recent Xbox Wire news post, which detailed that members can now stream games from the Game Pass catalog, as well as select games they own, on their Xbox Series X, S, and Xbox One consoles via cloud streaming.

Previously, this cloud streaming capability was available on smart TVs, PCs, smartphones, and Meta Quest headsets. Now, extending to consoles for the first time, this update allows users to bypass the often time-consuming process of downloading games and conserve valuable hard drive space.

To access this feature on an Xbox console, follow these steps:

• Go to My games & apps > Full library > Owned Games.
• Games that can be streamed via the cloud will show a cloud badge on their page. Use the filters to locate them quickly by selecting Filter > Ready to play > Cloud gaming.
• To begin playing, select the desired game and choose Play with Cloud Gaming.
• You can also start streaming directly from the Store app after purchasing select cloud-playable games.

Conversely, users can stream any game installed on their Xbox consoles to devices with supported web browsers through a provided link. Note that this feature is no longer available on the Xbox mobile app but remains accessible on smartphones via the browser link. Xbox is also working to extend this feature to Samsung and Amazon Fire smart TVs, as well as Meta Quest headsets.

In another significant update, Xbox announced that starting this month, Xbox and Xbox 360 backward compatible games will also support remote play.

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According to Xbox, these updates are part of a broader initiative to optimize storage space on Xbox consoles. A new feature in the console's settings, accessible through My Games & Apps > Manage, offers recommendations for managing and freeing up hard drive space.

This move comes as Xbox continues to address the challenge of larger game install sizes, seen in titles like Call of Duty and Baldur's Gate 3. For those who need even more storage, we've compiled a list of the best storage options for Xbox Series X and S, especially useful if you're not looking to invest in the newer Xbox models with enhanced built-in storage.