Xbox's Project Mooncroft lets you play new game demos on Xbox Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Xbox announced a slew of gaming updates, detailing "what's next for gaming," including the arrival of the Xbox app to Samsung 2022 Smart TVs and updates for Xbox Game Pass members — including Project Mooncroft.

The announcement offers a look at updates rolling out soon, along with the expansion of Xbox Cloud Gaming to more countries such as Argentina and New Zealand, new optimizations coming to Windows 11 such as a new HDR calibration app and a Game Pass widget, along with more customization options in Xbox Design Lab.

One highlight is Xbox partnering with Samsung to bring the Xbox app to 2022 Smart TVs, meaning you won't need an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S to play games on a TV — just good Wi-Fi speeds. Owners of 2022 Samsung TVs will be able to access Game Pass Ultimate titles, and play the now-added Fortnite "without a subscription." It's set to arrive on June 30.

As for Project Mooncroft, it's a new program that offers "new, curated demos of upcoming games" to Xbox Game Pass members. Set to arrive in 2023, its main goal is to allow independent game developers a way to showcase their upcoming games. "Participating developers will be able to see how their demos perform, and be compensated, enabling them to bring their creativity to Xbox and reach new audiences with Game Pass," the announcement states. 

Exclusive new gaming features are coming soon to the desktop version of Microsoft Edge, too.  (Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft Edge on desktops will be getting some new gaming features as well, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming updates. This includes a personalized gaming home page featuring news, game guides, live streams and more, a "Built-in Clarity Boost" feature that makes gameplay from the cloud look sharper and clearer, a new "Games" menu offering access to free games like Solitare, and an efficiency mode to help improve gaming performance on Windows 10 and 11 by reducing browser resource usage when a PC game is launched.

“We’re building a platform that can reach billions of players—whether it’s on console, whether it’s on PC, whether it’s through Xbox cloud streaming – where players on any device they want to play on should be able to find the content they want to play," said Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer.

We're looking forward to seeing these updates in action, but there are more gaming announcements to come during the upcoming Xbox and Bethesda Game Showcase on June 12. Stay tuned for further updates, and in the meantime, check out the best PC Game Pass games to play. 

Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.