If you’re looking to stream Starfield on Xbox Cloud Gaming, you may have to put up with longer than normal queue times.
Microsoft’s service — which lets you play powerful games over the internet on consoles, laptops, and phones — was supposed to free players from the tyranny of lengthy download times induced by bulky game files. But it appears to have hit a road bump.
In a notification on its support website, Xbox has acknowledged that some players are experiencing “long wait times to play” on Xbox Cloud Gaming.
The statement suggests the delay could be the result of an influx of players. Xbox goes on to say that it is working to fix the problem and “improve your experience”. Oddly, there’s no mention of the issue on the Xbox status page.
The admission comes after weeks of player complaints about gridlock on Xbox Cloud Gaming. While the platform normally takes a few seconds to launch a title, depending on the strength of your internet connection, users have recently noticed wait times of between a few minutes to an hour.
Speculation was rife about the root of the delays. Some suggested that it was down to the addition of Grand Theft Auto V on Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming in July. But could a 10-year-old game really be to blame?
Another reason could be that players were jumping on Game Pass ahead of the arrival of Starfield. The spacefaring saga is officially out today, coasting on a wave of hype and positive reviews.
How to stream Starfield
If you’re wondering how to stream Starfield, you can currently only play it on Xbox Cloud Gaming with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription. The top-tier plan costs £13 per month after Microsoft implemented a recent price hike.
We tested out the service today and found that games did take slightly longer to load than usual. The average wait time we encountered was around 20 seconds across several games including Starfield, GTA V, and Exoprimal. So nowhere near the queuing times others have apparently had to endure.
An Xbox customer support agent also said the issue was affecting players globally, and average wait times weren’t exceeding more than two minutes.
A Microsoft spokesperson told The Standard: “We have limited capacity for cloud gaming, which more popular games may reach.”
