Microsoft threw down the gauntlet for next generation recently with their purchase of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax, and in the wake of the deal there’s been a lot of speculation about what it all means for the Xbox Series X. Microsoft has said that this isn’t just about exclusives, and there could be some truth to this–not only with Microsoft benefit from having Bethesda’s games on Game Pass, but they didn’t just pick up games in this sale.
Windows Central has noted that Microsoft’s purchase gives them access to Orion, the streaming tech Bethesda announced at E3 2019. The technology was touted as “a game- and platform-agnostic technology that optimizes game engines for streaming,” but the technology might be less platform-agnostic following this sale.
Orion’s stated goal is to stream games at low bandwidth with high-settings–making accessible the sort of game experiences that are often reserved only for people with powerful PC set-ups. The technology aims to cut latency down and deliver an excellent streaming experience.
Microsoft has just launched their own streaming system for Game Pass called xCloud, and it’s pretty good. If Microsoft wants to push their streaming technology further, though, then the purchase of Bethesda could be instrumental in doing so.
It could take a while to see the fruits of this purchase, but it’s very likely that Orion factored into Microsoft’s decision. The tech giant now owns 23 creative studios.
The Xbox Series X/S launch on November 10. If you want to try and get your hands on a system at or close to launch, check out GameSpot’s preorder guide.
