Microsoft developing a number of 'primarily cloud-based' projects for Xbox One

Microsoft is currently working on a number of unnamed Xbox One projects that will be powered primarily by the cloud, company head Phil Spencer revealed on Twitter.

This comes in response to one Twitter user who asked whether we can expect to see games released that will be fully powered by the cloud, using all resources available to it.

"Given local CPU/GPU likely see XBOX One games using local compute but we have things incubating that are primarily cloud based," wrote Spencer. In a later comment on the website, Spencer used free-to-play title Ascend: Hand of Kul as an example of the capacity of games powered largely by the cloud.

"Look at a game like Ascend," he said. "Its running as a service with sync and async MP func. That's an example."

The full capabilities of the cloud are still vague, however. Earlier in the year, its potential was discussed during a panel with Turn 10 Studios' Dan Greenawalt and director of development on the console Boyd Multerer. Multerer said that the Xbox One's architecture and ability to tap into a "variable number of transistors in the cloud" — as opposed to the fixed processing power on the console itself — may free up power to the console as the system evolves. It can also offer the ability to add achievements at will. You can check out that discussion here.