xCloud E3 demo has just 16 frames of input latency

Project xCloud is being shown off to the public at E3 2019 and first impressions are very, well, impressive! With this new xCloud E3 demo, we have a great look at how Microsoft’s upcoming service will perform.

Footage by Ars Technica has been shared on video streaming service Vimeo. In the footage, we see a high framerate recording of Halo 5 running on a Samsung Galaxy S8 using xCloud.

Combined with a wireless Xbox One controller, Project xCloud still only produces 16 frames of noticeable input latency; that’s just 67  milliseconds of input lag.

With public testing starting this October, Xbox’s game streaming service seems to be a strong contender for Google Stadia. At the moment, we’re not sure if the xCloud E3 demo is running on a local Xbox One console acting as a server or the Azure-powered Xbox One SKUs back at Microsoft.

With Xbox Scarlett on the way, Microsoft is aiming to be key players in both local hardware and cloud gaming. With Stadia’s alleged 120+ millisecond input latency, depending on the player’s internet speeds, Microsoft may already have a technical advantage.

As PlayStation Now, Google Stadia, xCloud and more all fight for the same piece of that sweet cloud gaming pie, will xCloud’s performance come out on top?