Sony and Microsoft put aside their rivalry: the two giants will collaborate to offer future cloud-based gaming services, sometimes nicknamed “the video game Netflix”.
“The two companies will explore the joint development of future cloud computing solutions in Microsoft Azure to support their respective content and game delivery services,” Microsoft said in a statement.
Sony’s current cloud video game service will also be hosted by Microsoft on its Azure platform.
This announcement comes a little less than two months after Google unveiled Stadia , its own cloud video game service. Google’s entry into the lucrative video game market has dramatically changed the balance of power in this field, long played by the same three players: Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.
Thursday’s announcement feeds the many rumors that seem to indicate that Microsoft is preparing to make the jump into the arena of dematerialized video games. Phil Spencer, vice president of video games for Microsoft and responsible for Xbox, has also promised that Microsoft will “hit hard” at E3 (New Window) , the largest annual exhibition dedicated to video games.
With information from The Verge and Thurott