Microsoft is about to deliver a mobile gaming experience with xCloud (formally known as Xbox Cloud Gaming), and the device that will unlock the entire experience is the ..... .Surface Duo?

Trust me. [The Surface Duo is a tablet, a phone, a laptop, and apparently, thanks to cloud streaming, a gaming console as well. The latest update to Microsoft's xCloud cloud streaming app for Android brings full dual-screen cloud gaming support to the twin-screen handheld (good point, The Verge). [The Surface Duo's Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor is practically an add-on to the phone, so it can't do much gaming on its own, but that's where Microsoft's Xbox in the cloud comes in.

And it really is also an Xbox in the cloud, with individual Xbox One consoles crammed into server rack after server rack.

Microsoft has announced plans to update its cloud streaming service to Xbox Series X hardware this year. However, with the ongoing chip shortage causing headaches for console fans as well as PC builders trying to get their hands on graphics cards, it is doubtful that plans have changed.

Previously, one could connect a controller to the Duo and enjoy halfway decent cloud gaming like any other supported Android device, but with this new support, the lower half becomes the controller and no accessories are needed.

Still, it is a concept that is only partially explored in cloud streaming today. It is the ability to bring a playable gaming experience to a device that would normally be completely unsuitable for the task, and apparently even a bit niche in nature, such as the Surface Duo.

Xbox Cloud Gaming will also be widely deployed on Windows 10 PCs. Stay tuned for more on this; there are plenty of cloud alternatives for some devices, such as Nvidia GeForce Now and Google Stadia.