As someone who previously spent a bit of time travelling pre-COVID, the concept of being able to play Xbox on the go was an awesome idea when I first heard about it.
At airport lounges, hotel rooms and during breaks in the day, playing the games I love has always been a great way to kill time. Mobile games were OK, but nothing beats reminding my mates who’s the Forza king or getting a chicken dinner on PUBG.
The last couple of years may have been different, but the ability to access my Xbox is still a challenge – especially given there’s always a bit of a fight over who gets to use the TV with everyone at home! I always have my phone with me though, so using its screen is the perfect solution…
With Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), launching in Australia today, you can do just that. Whether you want to take a break at the local park, play in the spare room without a TV or even on your camping trip – you can play the latest Xbox games on your compatible phone, tablet or laptop wherever you have a fast internet connection. No console required.
At launch, there are over 100 incredible Xbox titles to play, including the likes of Forza Horizon 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Destiny 2. Best of all, Xbox Cloud Gaming is part of your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, so if you already have an account, you’re good to start playing at no extra cost.
Think of it like the ultimate subscription for gaming. You get a whole library of games that you can play on all your devices instantly, wherever you have internet. There is no downloading games, no downloading updates, you can just dive in and play –and your saved data syncs across your account, so you can pick up where you were playing last. Also, highly anticipated games like Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite will be cloud enabled for those with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (which we now offer).
X marks the spot
To make the most of Xbox Cloud Gaming and to celebrate its launch in Australia, we’re also giving 10 Aussie gamers the opportunity to win an amazing pack to up your game with a virtual treasure hunt.
We’re calling it X Marks the Spot and well, it’s eXactly what it sounds like. We’ve put our hiding hats on and have hidden 10 cloud gaming packs in virtual locations across the web.
Here’s a hint: each location was picked due to some significance to Telstra or Xbox. The first person to find each virtual location will win a prize pack.
The prize packs? Five winners will take home an epic Samsung Galaxy S21 5G phone to take your gaming everywhere, a Razer Kishi gaming controller and a 12 month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes access to Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Another five winners will be firing up an Xbox Series S console, a Razer Kishi gaming controller for their mobile phone and a 12 month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which of course includes access to Xbox Cloud Gaming.
So… it’s time to start hunting!
Clues and locations:
Update: Well, wow. Just, wow. We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the number of entries (you would have thought we’d learn from last time!) and have only just sifted through the rubble. While we double-check our numbers and sort out a couple of photo-finishes, we can confirm that all the clues have been successfully found.
We’ll post the list of winners Saturday, and will contact our 10 most intrepid X-searchers to get those prize packs delivered. Thank you all so much for all your effort! Keep an eye out for more Xs out there – you never know what we might do next.
Thanks, the competition is now closed!
You can find all the terms and conditions for this competition here.
A match made in gaming heaven
5G is the perfect match for Xbox Cloud Gaming as it delivers the low latency, high capacity and fast speeds needed for a superior gaming experience outside of the home. Telstra’s 5G now covers more than 75 per cent of the Australian population – the largest of any telco – with more than 3,200 suburbs and over 240 cities and towns across the nation. So, it’s not just inside the big city CBDs where Telstra gamers can enjoy the benefits of 5G, and where 5G is not yet available they will switch to 3G/4G.
To enjoy the benefits of 5G, Telstra gamers will need a 5G compatible device and a mobile plan with 5G network access.
As the exclusive telco partner for Xbox Cloud Gaming, we’ve also worked to optimise our networks to make sure Telstra gamers have the best experience possible both at home and out and about. Eligible Telstra customers who are new to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from Telstra can also get the first month’s subscription on us (normally $15.95/month), giving them access to Xbox Cloud Gaming as well as more than 100 high-quality console and PC games. Existing Telstra Xbox All Access customers will also have access to Xbox Cloud Gaming service from tomorrow as part of their included Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
At home, if you’re playing on WiFi, we’ve also got you covered with Game Optimiser in our nbn Smart Modems making sure that you can race the streets in Forza Horizon 5 this November 4. Eligible Telstra customers can also get the first month on us.
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