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5 Popular Gaming Laptops for xCloud (Guide)

Lenovo Legion Y545 Gaming Laptop...
Budget Choice
Dell Gaming G3 15 3500 - 15.6 Inch FHD,...
Lenovo Legion Y545 Gaming Laptop...
Dell Gaming G3 15 3500 - 15.6 Inch FHD,...
Lenovo Legion Y545 Gaming Laptop...
Lenovo Legion Y545 Gaming Laptop...
Budget Choice
Dell Gaming G3 15 3500 - 15.6 Inch FHD,...
Dell Gaming G3 15 3500 - 15.6 Inch FHD,...

Last update on 2024-02-27 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.

Project xCloud, now under the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, is a public cloud gaming platform developed by Microsoft for Xbox users.

On this platform, you can access over 150 Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S games which you can play on an android device or laptop over the internet. 

It’s a streaming service where Xbox hosts all games on a remote server and sends live in-game video to your compatible device online.

As you play, your device sends live controller codes to the game, giving you a complete and seamless experience that feels similar to having that game installed on your device.

Until September 11th, 2020, you could access the public preview of Project xCloud. Now, xCloud has transitioned into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and all you need is a membership subscription.

Outside their standard $15 monthly fee, opening a Game Pass account comes at no extra cost. 

To enjoy your xCloud benefits, purchase the games you want, download them and play them on your gaming devices. 

Here is everything you need to know about xCloud and the best laptops you can get for all available games on their platform.

Consider checking 3 Cheap Alternatives to Alienware Laptop

Can you play xCloud on a Laptop?

Yes, you can. You’ll find the Xbox app available on your Windows PC and also on your web browser. You can jump in straight away and play your games from inside the app. You can also do that when you log into your Game Pass account on your browser.

This browser experience also caters for users of other operating systems like macOS, Chromebook and Linux.

Read: Do Any VR Headsets Work With Xbox One

What to look for when buying a laptop for xCloud

xCloud, by design, can run on your phone, tablet or laptop. For that reason, any decent laptop can run xCloud.

The quality and speed of your internet connection is what will determine how smooth your experience is.

Therefore, make sure that you at least have a stable internet connection, about 4GB RAM, and a standard graphics card.

If you’re a true gamer, you’d know that this isn’t even close to enough. In that case, let’s only talk about the big boys of gaming laptops.

CPU 

Get yourself a laptop with a high-end CPU that can run complex processes with little fuss.

Should you eventually decide to install actual games on your device, you won’t have annoying lags.

You’ll also enjoy the added advantage of using your laptop for other resource-intensive tasks like rendering video or OBS streaming.

GPU

Make you get a laptop with a dedicated graphics processing unit. In fact, this single component is quite essential for any serious gaming laptop.

You’ll enjoy enhanced video and graphics performance across games. 

RAM

Get a gaming laptop with at least 8GB RAM, and where possible, 16GB. Don’t worry so much about RAM, though. You can always upgrade later.

Storage

Ensure that your gaming laptop uses an SSD as its primary boot drive. They’re much faster than standard hard drives.

It doesn’t be large, 128G should do. As for common storage, use a 7,200 rpm HDD, or if possible, upgrade that to a larger SSD much later.

Display

13-inch screens are not great for gaming. Get something larger, preferably a 17-inch laptop.

It should at least have a full HD (1920 X 1080) display. FHD screens have higher refresh rates of up to 360Hz, which means less lag in game play.

Go all out if you can and get a 4K UHD screen, although you may just get a 60Hz refresh rate out of them. 

Check Ultrawide Monitor for Gaming.

Will xCloud work on Surface?

Yes, xCloud works seamlessly on the Microsoft Surface device. With a good internet connection, you shouldn’t expect any latency issues. Also, the Microsoft Surface version of xCloud comes with full touch controls. Expect to enjoy an amazing handheld gaming experience with your Surface.

Let’s look at some of the best gaming laptops you can get right now.

5 Best laptops for xCloud

MSI GS66 Stealth 036

Last update on 2024-02-27 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.

The MSI GS66 Stealth gaming laptop is a capable gaming beast. It features a 10th generation i7 10750 CPU running at the speed of 2.6GHz and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card, offering high frame rates, which is a must for smooth gaming.

32GB RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and 8GB of VRAM are more than enough for running xCloud and playing high-end games.

A 15.6″ FHD Anti-Glare Wide View Angle screen at 1080p resolution is standard nowadays for gaming laptops, but refresh rates as high as 300Hz are a real head-turner in the world of gaming. It means that the laptop can display up to 300 frames every second.

This laptop packs some extra features, too, like an anti-ghost per-key RGB keyboard, making an attractive gaming laptop. It also has a 720 HD webcam, allowing you to live stream with a high-quality picture. The sturdy but ultra-thin and light design of the laptop makes traveling easy, as well. 

The MSI GS66 comes with Windows Pro installed, and you’ll get a free upgrade to Windows 11 when available. The laptop has a 1-year warranty from MSI.  

Pros

  • Sleek and thin design.
  • 10th gen i7 CPU running at high speeds.
  • 15.6″ FHD Anti-Glare Wide View Angle screen.
  • 1080p display with high frame rates.
  • 32GB RAM, 512GB of SSD storage.
  • Per-key RGB keyboard.
  • 720 HD webcam.
  • Plenty of ports.
  • Fair price.

Cons

  • 512GB storage might be too small for storing games. 

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Product currently unavailable.

Another elegant and thin selection for gaming is the Zephyrus G14.

Running on an AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS, this laptop’s CPU performs at amazing levels. It also features an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU for enhanced gaming performance.

The Zephyrus comes with about 16GB RAM and an adequate 512GB SSD storage space to install your favorite games.

You can squeeze a decent 6 hours out of the G14’s battery, which makes this quite a useful laptop for everyday tasks.

In fact, many gaming laptops produce less battery time, making the G14 an exceptional choice. You also get a full HD anti-glare 14-inch screen with a whooping 120Hz refresh rate. 

Pros:

  • Excellent battery life
  • Exceptional gaming performance
  • Thing and lightweight design
  • Amazing display and audio

Cons:

  • No webcam
  • No Thunderbolt 3 port

Alienware m17 R4

Last update on 2024-02-27 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.

Looking for a powerful gaming laptop with plenty of connectivity ports? The stylish Alienware m17 R4 comes with an elegant chassis that packs a powerful 10th generation core i9 processor.

It gets an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU that runs all your AAA games with no hitches.

You can get an amazing 360Hz frame rate out of the Full HD screen options which will give you a more immersive experience right off the bat.

It also comes with a 17-inch screen size that blows you away with its clarity. Despite its weight and battery, this laptop performs at unprecedented levels.

Pros:

  • Large number of ports
  • Stylish chassis design
  • Outstanding gaming performance.

Cons:

  • Poor battery life
  • Terrible battery life
  • Speakers mounted at the bottom
  • Loud cooling fans
  • Quite heavy to carry

Dell G3 15

Last update on 2024-02-27 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.

The G3 15 from Dell is a robust laptop for gamers on a budget. If you’re also new to gaming, this laptop would be an ideal place to start out.

Surprisingly, the G3 15 shows outstanding battery performance, which is a nifty trick for such a laptop. It also features a respectable 15.6-inch, 1080p display with a 144Hz refresh rate. 

This laptop is much slimmer than its predecessor, making it look much sleeker. The G3 15 uses a 9th generation core i7 processor that performs at par with the best laptops in the market.

It also comes with an NVIDIA GTX 1160 Ti Max -Q GPU that will tear through any of your favorite games with ease. You can also install and play games on your ultra-fast 512GB SSD..

Pros:

  • Affordable market price
  • Long-lasting battery
  • Outstanding graphics and processor
  • Slimmer than previous version

Cons:

  • Dull display

Lenovo Legion Y545

Last update on 2024-02-27 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.

Looking to start out in the gaming world? Then the Legion Y545 is the way to go. When you’re not gaming, you can use this laptop to perform certain tasks like video editing and streaming your favorite movies. 

This laptop uses an understated design with clean attractive lines. Under the hood is an intel Core i7-9750H processor that performs much better than advertised.

Alongside it is a dedicated NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti GPU that runs games seamlessly during play time.

An internal 128GB SSD comes in handy for fast boot times, and a 16 GB RAM for unparalleled performance. 

The Y545 also features a functional 15.6-inch Full HD display that can take on any graphics you throw at it.

Pros:

  • Elegant chassis design
  • Amazing gaming performance and overall functionality
  • Great keyboard comfort

Cons:

  • Below-par battery life
  • Laptop runs hot during gaming.

Final thoughts and best pick

No matter what laptop you pick from this list, you’re probably going to enjoy using it. Most of them are lightweight, dedicated for gaming and come with state-of-the-art hardware. 

My absolute favorite laptop on this list is the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. I loved the elegant design it takes on, completely blending into my workplace environment without selling its aggressive gaming side.

Its battery can last up to 11 hours, making it ideal for extended functionality tasks. I could last the whole day performing menial tasks.

It took slightly less time when gaming, but still outperformed anything I have ever used.

Its large storage space makes it an excellent choice for different office and gaming scenarios. And guess what: It runs xCloud games smoothly.