Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Xbox to roll out trial of its cloud gaming service in India

VIDEO gaming brand Xbox will roll out a trial of its cloud gaming service in India.

This was stated by Xbox head Phil Spencer during Microsoft’s glitzy Xbox showcase in London recently.


Global businesses such as Microsoft are moving ahead with their own plans with Project Xcloud, a game streaming service that will allow players to stream Xbox games to mobile phones.

The free preview of the service will begin in India next year.

Corporate Vice President of Gaming Cloud at Microsoft Kareem Choudry said: “The content library we have that runs on console and the community that's attached to it is very compelling. So we are giving that access to people who only have a smartphone device. I think that's the magic.”

As part of Microsoft’s bid for world domination in the next generation of the gaming industry, India is becoming a hot testbed to reach emerging markets of the globe.

Microsoft’s experiment with Xcloud will depend upon India’s internet infrastructure  to run its streaming service, with India focusing more to improve it.

Emerging economies such as India, China, and others are the new destinations for gaming businesses to expand their empire and to reach billions of users.

The market value of the gaming industry in India was estimated at £664 million in 2019.

The figure is expected to grow to over £2.7 billion by 2024.

Affordability and availability of smartphones has boomed the opportunities for gaming companies in India.

Until very recently, the south Asian country has had a relatively small market for console and PC gaming.

India, the world’s second-largest smart-phone market and smartphone owners, downloaded over 14 billion games last year.

India has the largest youth population in the world, with 600 million people under the age of 25, over 50 per cent of the country’s vast population.

The gaming industry in the Asian country is also starting to grow, with gaming staff set to reach 40,000 in the country in the next 24 months.

Gaming studios are also growing around the country, especially in India’s Silicon Valley -  Bengaluru.

However, India is lagging behind due to the expense of dedicated gaming hardware.

Piracy has also remained a pronounced issue, and there is a growing gap for established companies from foreign countries to exploit.

Within five years, the number of people online in the world’s second most populous country  is expected to reach 850 million.

The American technology giant aims to move forward with its own cloud service in the country.

Google’s Stadia and other gaming brands are likely to watch the Xcloud India experiment with greater curiosity.

More For You

Arundhati Roy
UN human rights office urges India to drop cases against Arundhati Roy
AFP via Getty Images

Arundhati Roy’s memoir on growing up in mother’s shadow

ARUNDHATI ROY’S forthcoming memoir, Mother Mary Comes To Me, is about the author’s close but fraught relationship with her mother, Mary Roy, whose death in 2022 her daughter has likened to “being hit by a truck”.

Mary Roy, who insisted her children call her “Mrs Roy” in school, belonged to the Syrian Christian community. She does not seem a very nice person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Badshah

Badshah hilariously mocks Donald Trump tariffs on stage with Bollywood lyric twist in New Jersey

Instagram/badboyshah

Badshah takes cheeky aim at Donald Trump over tariffs in New Jersey show leaving fans in splits

Highlights:

  • Badshah joked about Trump’s tariffs during his Unfinished USA Tour in New Jersey.
  • Fans erupted as he altered the lyrics of his hit song ‘Tareefan’ to deliver the quip.
  • The rapper is continuing his North American tour with stops in Seattle, Dallas, and Chicago.
  • Badshah recently made headlines for his 20 kg weight loss and the success of his album Ek Tha Raja.

Indian rapper Badshah had fans in stitches during his New Jersey show as he took a cheeky jab at US President Donald Trump, cleverly linking the ongoing tariff debate with his hit song Tareefan. The unexpected moment added a fresh layer of political satire to his Unfinished USA Tour, proving once again that Badshah can seamlessly mix music with humour.

Badshah Badshah hilariously mocks Donald Trump tariffs on stage with Bollywood lyric twist in New Jersey Instagram/badboyshah

Keep ReadingShow less
Khalistan supporters

Demonstrators gather in support of Khalistan during a Sikh rally outside the Consulate General of India, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 25, 2023.

Getty Images

Ottawa report says Khalistani extremist groups get financial backing in Canada

AT LEAST two Khalistani extremist groups have received financial support from within Canada, according to a new Canadian government report on terror financing.

The report, titled 2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks in Canada, named Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation as the groups receiving such support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran confirms he is moving to America with wife Cherry Seaborn and their two daughters

Getty Images

Ed Sheeran set to relocate to America after buying £9m Brooklyn home as country music plans take centre stage

Highlights:

  • Ed Sheeran confirms he is relocating with wife Cherry Seaborn and their daughters
  • The move comes ahead of his extended US tour
  • Singer reveals love for Nashville and his future in country music
  • Sheeran says he culturally identifies as Irish despite Suffolk upbringing

Ed Sheeran moving to America has been confirmed by the star himself, with the singer explaining he will relocate with his family to settle in the US during his upcoming tour. The chart-topping musician, who has often spoken about his love for Nashville and country music, said he could not keep “dipping in and out” of the country while raising young children.

Ed Sheeran Ed Sheeran confirms he is moving to America with wife Cherry Seaborn and their two daughters Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
sugary drinks and ice cream

Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019

iStock

Global warming may drive higher consumption of sugary drinks and ice cream, study warns

Highlights:

  • Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
  • Lower-income households most affected, research finds
  • Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
  • Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data

Sugary consumption rising with heat

People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.

Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.

Keep ReadingShow less