Home Gaming See Microsoft’s cloud in action

See Microsoft’s cloud in action

2 min read
65

A little less conversation, a little more action.

Since Microsoft revealed the Xbox One, we’ve been hearing about how much The Cloud could benefit games, and how the array of 300 000 servers in the sky would make games look and run better. Microsoft even said that the fairies in the ether would give the Xbox One three times the computing power. Since the console’s release, we’ve seen exactly none of that extra power. Here’s that cloud in action.

"We’re provisioning for developers for every physical Xbox One we build, we’re provisioning the CPU and storage equivalent of three Xbox Ones on the cloud," Microsoft’s Jeff Henshaw said in May last year.

Here’s a demo of Microsoft using “cloud assistance” for physics calculations, leaving the local system to do graphical grunt-work. You’ll notice that the high-end pc system running the calculations without the cloud stumbles, while the later demo using server-side physics processing runs like butter.

Of course, we have no idea of knowing how much of a real-world scenario this is, and how well this sort of thing would work on a large scale. It’s tricky to relate this to any real-world gaming benefit as we have no idea what sort of networking is going on here. Still, it’s impressive – and Microsoft wants you to know that this isn’t just some demo.

Speaking on Twitter, the newly appointed Xbox Head Phil spencer said that the demo was just a step, and acknowledged that the company has a lot to prove.

Spencer also said the demo wasn’t "throw away work"

It all looks and sounds very nice – but we’ll have to see this in a real scenario, with thousands of concurrent users. Plus, without a local azure datacentre, this is all meaningless to us in South Africa. Still, I’d love to see Microsoft make good on its promises, especially where the Xbox One is concerned. It means better games for all of us.

Last Updated: April 4, 2014

65 Comments

  1. Alien Emperor Trevor

    April 4, 2014 at 08:34

    This is not the cloud you’re looking for.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      April 4, 2014 at 08:36

      What clouds?

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Railjack

        April 4, 2014 at 08:52

        The two pointy ones Hammer!

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          April 4, 2014 at 08:53

          People call them clouds? Live and learn then.

          Reply

          • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

            April 4, 2014 at 11:44

            Their as soft as clouds….

        • Unavengedavo

          April 4, 2014 at 09:04

          This is perfect! Now you can walk up to a woman and say “Nice clouds” and she’ll think you are talking about the weather O_o

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Railjack

            April 4, 2014 at 09:05

            Excuse me ma’am, may I inspect the cumulonimbus you have there?

          • Unavengedavo

            April 4, 2014 at 09:06

            Those clouds look so soft I want to bury my face in them 😉

          • Admiral Chief Railjack

            April 4, 2014 at 09:10

            There shall be THUNDER and wetness

          • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

            April 4, 2014 at 11:45

            0_0

          • CypherGate

            April 4, 2014 at 09:10

            They look firm as well!

          • Mossel

            April 4, 2014 at 09:27

            Clouds in and around your mouth.

          • Rince

            April 4, 2014 at 09:32

            That escalated quickly…

          • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

            April 4, 2014 at 11:45

            That’s not all that escalated…

    • Rince

      April 4, 2014 at 08:57

      Clouds? 0-O

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        April 4, 2014 at 08:58

        Apparently it’s the pointy ones O_o

        Reply

      • Admiral Chief Railjack

        April 4, 2014 at 08:59

        I’m inspired to go outside and stuffs now

        Reply

  2. Hammersteyn

    April 4, 2014 at 08:36

    The power of the cloud, making games run flawlessly at 30 FPS.

    Reply

    • Pieter Kruger

      April 4, 2014 at 08:45

      Would be great then for Killzone, Infamous SS etc. ROFL!

      Reply

      • Brian Murphy

        April 4, 2014 at 08:51

        Eh? Killzone runs above 30fps, and Infamous actually looks worse when it runs higher than 30 (which is why they’re coming out with a vsync patch to lock it into 30fps). I mean, it’s an appropriate response, you just used the wrong games as examples 🙂

        Reply

        • Pieter Kruger

          April 4, 2014 at 09:02

          Killzone also got patched with a 30fps lock.

          Reply

          • Spathi

            April 4, 2014 at 09:03

            Yeah, to keep it from going ABOVE 30fps.

          • FoxOneZA

            April 4, 2014 at 10:32

            More like to keep it from looking like a stop motion picture.

      • Hammersteyn

        April 4, 2014 at 08:58

        But those already run at 30fps

        Reply

      • Spathi

        April 4, 2014 at 08:59

        I was waiting for your troll head to pop-up 😀

        http://www.vg247.com/2014/04/03/microsoft-studios-hit-by-lay-offs-as-former-staffers-tweet-confirmation/

        How can MS prioritise servers above people! How totally immoral of them. Also, they keep on spending money on servers and not games…they will have even less exclusives this gen! lol

        Reply

        • Rince

          April 4, 2014 at 09:01

          Hehehe. Indeed 😉

          Reply

        • Pieter Kruger

          April 4, 2014 at 09:03

          Games?? Wait for E3 I promise you’ll not be disappointed!

          Reply

          • Spathi

            April 4, 2014 at 09:04

            No doubt! They had the most entertaining conference last year of everyone. Not the best, but most entertaining indeed 😛

          • Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

            April 4, 2014 at 09:38

            They will push more Kinasst. And cloud pies in the sky. We definitely won’t be disappointed.

          • Rince

            April 4, 2014 at 09:40

            What, like people were promisng last MS E3? BWAHAHAHAHAHA

  3. Half-Minute Hero [Umar]

    April 4, 2014 at 08:42

    That’s really cool . Would love to see it in action. Also, videoception?

    Reply

  4. Admiral Chief Railjack

    April 4, 2014 at 08:51

    PCs doing the work, helping the peasants 😛

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      April 4, 2014 at 08:54

      Isn’t that what the powerful should do? Help those in need? While, of course, being modest & humble. Really shouldn’t brag about charity contributions after all.

      Reply

      • Rince

        April 4, 2014 at 08:58

        Uh… Yeah… Okay…

        Reply

      • Unavengedavo

        April 4, 2014 at 09:02

        What did uncle Ben say? With great power, comes great responsibility or something like that?

        Reply

        • Rince

          April 4, 2014 at 09:03

          I thought he said ‘Ughhhhh, bahhhhh, gurgle gurgle…. Ahhhhhhhhh’?

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            April 4, 2014 at 09:04

            Yeah in almost every single spiderman movie. I swear the will reboot Spiderman again in less than ten years and we will have to see him die again. By that time Sean Bean should be old enough to play Uncle Ben

          • Unavengedavo

            April 4, 2014 at 09:05

            No, no, no…. That’s what she said O_o

          • Mossel

            April 4, 2014 at 09:28

            Hahaha oh man…

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            April 4, 2014 at 09:31

            She never did explain why she gargles peanut butter though.

          • Rince

            April 4, 2014 at 09:39

            0-O

          • Unavengedavo

            April 4, 2014 at 10:27

            Why would you put peanut butter there? People usually only do that so the dog can lick it off… O, wait, never mind then O_o

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            April 4, 2014 at 10:30

            To attract the mole people.

          • Unavengedavo

            April 4, 2014 at 10:33

          • Half-Minute Hero [Umar]

            April 4, 2014 at 09:05

          • Rince

            April 4, 2014 at 09:39

            HAHAHAH!

    • Hammersteyn

      April 4, 2014 at 08:55

      How dare console gamers even think they can do anything without the master race!

      Reply

    • Half-Minute Hero [Umar]

      April 4, 2014 at 08:56

      Hey thanx PC for making all those amazing games that will never grace your platform 🙂 You truly are a generous god

      http://www.quickmeme.com/img/ad/ad9e1b6b98f9aa96d9528f928843fdbe5bbf3be99745a0e0eb8e5d0f6947dc7c.jpg

      Reply

  5. Admiral Chief Railjack

    April 4, 2014 at 08:53

    • Hammersteyn

      April 4, 2014 at 08:57

      I do the same with my turret, but mostly I knock stuff of the table if I’m not carefull or I hang my towel while I get dressed 😛

      Reply

      • Johan du Preez

        April 4, 2014 at 09:28

        Why is your turret on the table in the first place ? Or actually im not sure if I want you to answer that …

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Railjack

          April 4, 2014 at 09:46

          I refer to my schlong as my turret, (because of the projectiles you see?)

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            April 4, 2014 at 09:57

            hue hue hue

          • Unavengedavo

            April 4, 2014 at 10:28

            Het jy ‘n agt duim of ‘n ag shame?

          • Admiral Chief Railjack

            April 4, 2014 at 10:35

            Flirt jy met my? Sorry dude, I’m married

            😛

          • Unavengedavo

            April 4, 2014 at 10:38

            Lol, this is one of those jokes that don’t translate that well into text. 😛

          • Johan du Preez

            April 4, 2014 at 17:27

            I know that already lol thats why I said on second thought I dont want you to answer that lol. I would just think that if your turret are engaging a target on the table why would it be bumping stuff of.

            I would think that there is a better chance that the target receiving the projectiles would be knocking stuff of the table.

            But then again maybe there is no target and its just some twisted game that you play …

  6. Admiral Chief Railjack

    April 4, 2014 at 09:04

  7. HvR

    April 4, 2014 at 09:12

    Want same demo on variable speed line with 60ms ping.

    Reply

  8. Johan du Preez

    April 4, 2014 at 09:26

    Its funny because the Azure clusters cant handle the titanfall load at the moment ….

    Reply

    • Mossel

      April 4, 2014 at 09:38

      hehe. You said “titan” and then “load”.

      Reply

  9. MakeItLegal

    April 4, 2014 at 10:07

    I suppose this is completely irreverent to us

    First we don’t have the bone , 2nd we don’t have the data centers 3rd Telkom still holds the monopoly here and they are run by the same people that run our government

    So we fucked , until the corruption on every level is addressed ! Including vodacrap and mtniggas stop trying to cheat people and lower than dam costs and for fuck sakes start looking at how to deliver better services and not bigger profits for fuck sakes

    Reply

  10. Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

    April 4, 2014 at 11:44

    Building explodes…..

    Debris experiences latency. Only see debris 2 seconds later

    Reply

  11. bluegoon

    April 5, 2014 at 08:39

    Ag Here red my..

    Reply

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