xCloud is better on Windows than Linux, why so much hate?

Microsoft’s gaming platform is doing great. xCloud games beat even the competition and it already had more than 10 million users last. let’s remember this Microsoft’s cloud gaming service it allows you to play the latest games in very good quality and in small configurations. This service is available through the Xbox Game Pass offer.

But service quality can fluctuate depending on the operating system you are using. This is what a regular xCloud user has just noticed, sharing his discovery on the now famous Reddit forum. According to him, Microsoft’s xCloud game streaming seems to suffer from a lower level of visual quality when launched on Linux. The tests conducted by Ars Technica are actually moving in this direction.

Microsoft’s xCloud looks lower quality on Linux than Windows

Tests performed in this way effectively demonstrate pronounced graphic corruption when a Linux browser is detected. The user who mentioned his discovery on Reddit was therefore right. To compare how Microsoft’s cloud gaming service handles a Linux vs Windows machine, the tests were run over a wired internet connection with a top download speed of 120Mbps and a latency of around 9ms.

Take a look at the GIF below, for example, to see the difference in broadcast quality. Under Linux, the edges are less sharp, colors appear washed out, and the whole is generally less sharp. Other examples, perhaps even more illustrative, are available on the Ars Technica website.

Meanwhile, speculation is rampant to try to explain this drop in visual quality for xCloud on Linux. For some, this is because Microsoft tries to reserve the best xCloud performance for Windows machines, with the aim of attracting more users to their operating system. For others, it may just be a mistake. Anyway, the drop in quality seems to go away when the “Clarity Boost” feature (exclusive to Edge) is enabled. Second, it provides an optimal look and feel when playing Xbox games from the cloud.

Source : Ars-Technica