Pixel P&L: Xbox Cloud Gaming Arrives in India, Sony on PS5’s Lifespan

Welcome to another Pixel P&L edition. This issue takes 5 minutes to read. If you only have one, here are the 5 most important things:

• Xbox Cloud Gaming officially launches in India after beta testing.

• Sony says the PlayStation 5 is "only in the middle" of its lifespan, despite launching nearly six years ago.

• The Game Awards expands to Prime Video for the first time on December 11th.

• MiHoYo teases its next major title built on Unreal Engine 5 with cross-platform plans.

• Sunburn Festival partners with Revenant Esports to merge music and gaming culture. 

Let's get into it.

Microsoft Brings Xbox Cloud Gaming to India After Beta Testing

Microsoft launched Xbox Cloud Gaming in India, expanding its game streaming service beyond select beta markets. The service allows users to play Xbox titles without a console through the Xbox app on PCs, Macs, mobile devices, smart TVs, and Amazon Fire TV.

Indian gamers need a compatible controller and internet speeds exceeding 20 Mbps to access hundreds of cloud-enabled titles. The service comes bundled with Game Pass subscriptions, priced from Rs. 499 monthly for Essential tier to Rs. 1,389 for Ultimate, which includes day-one releases.

Reddit users on Xbox India subreddit discovered the rollout before Microsoft's official announcement, reporting successful streaming sessions through the Xbox app. The launch follows October's introduction of upgraded Game Pass tiers: Essential, Premium, and Ultimate that replaced previous Core and Standard plans.

Microsoft now supports streaming from personal game libraries and Windows-based handhelds, including the ROG Xbox Ally models launched in India last month.

Sony Says PlayStation 5 "Only in the Middle" of Its Lifespan

Sony indicated the PlayStation 5 remains mid-lifecycle during Tuesday's earnings call, despite launching nearly six years ago. CFO Lin Tao noted console generations are extending, citing PS4's decade-long active user base as precedent.

"We believe that the PS5 is only in the middle of the journey, and we are really planning to expand it even further," Tao said, highlighting the console's 84 million units sold. Last year, Sony reported half its monthly active users still played on PS4, demonstrating extended console relevance.

When questioned about a successor, Tao declined comment, stating Sony wasn't positioned to discuss future launches. However, SIE CEO Hideaki Nishino previously acknowledged the next platform is "top of mind," promising "a new and enhanced way for players" to engage with content.

⚡️Quick Bytes

The Game Awards Expands to Prime Video for the First Time

The Game Awards will stream on Prime Video for the first time on December 11th, adding Amazon's platform to its traditional Twitch broadcast. The ceremony airs from Los Angeles' Peacock Theater, featuring game announcements, esports awards, and live performances. Creator Geoff Keighley cited Prime Video's gaming adaptations like Fallout as alignment for the partnership. 

MiHoYo Teases Unreal Engine 5 Fantasy Game With Cross-Platform Plans

MiHoYo previewed its next major title built on Unreal Engine 5, showing swamp landscapes with horsemen and dragons. Job listings describe a "realistic fantasy" game targeting PC, console, and mobile platforms, with roles focused on creature and character animation. The announcement follows September's reveal of Petit Planet, a cosmic life simulation entering closed beta. The game joins MiHoYo's portfolio alongside Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero.

Esports Championships Asia Debuts in Vietnam This Month

Vietnam will host the Esports Championships Asia for the first time November 19-22 in Can Tho City, welcoming approximately 100 players from seven countries. Competitors will battle in League of Legends, CrossFire, and Stepin Digital Dance. VIRESA Vice President Do Viet Hung cited Can Tho's modern facilities and tourism infrastructure as selection factors. The championship includes business forums and an Asian Esports symposium, marking Vietnam's growing regional esports presence after years of ECA rotating between China and South Korea.

Sunburn Festival Partners With Revenant Esports for Gaming Integration

Electronic music festival Sunburn has partnered with Revenant Esports to launch 'Game The Beat,' merging music and gaming culture at its December 19-21 Mumbai event. The collaboration will feature a dedicated Gaming Arena with live tournaments and creator content, targeting 3-5 million digital impressions. Revenant CEO Rohit Jagasia called music and gaming India's top youth engagement platforms. The partnership follows Revenant's recent Monster Energy deal and Naruto merchandise licensing.

⚔️Side Quest

🤣Laugh:

📺 Watch: Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé explains Nintendo will never position itself as a PlayStation competitor, despite Switch 2 receiving AAA titles like Assassin's Creed and Resident Evil. In the full interview, Fils-Aimé also discusses Switch 2's third-party potential, the end of console wars, and the future of gaming leadership.

🎮 Play: BALL x PIT hooked me with its deceptively simple premise: fling balls into a monster-filled pit. What keeps me playing are the endless combinations from fusing projectile types and unlocking characters that completely change how you play. Surprisingly deep for a game about throwing balls at things.

📚 Read: Former Nexon CEO Owen Mahoney argues AI represents a fundamental medium shift in games, not just a production tool. Drawing from his PointCast experience and decades in gaming, Mahoney examines AI through three layers: power tools accelerating human creativity, autonomous systems enabling unprecedented scale in live ops, and new play patterns like voice-driven narratives. He warns against Hollywood-style mental models, predicting AI will collapse AAA cost advantages while expanding the creator economy from millions to tens of millions of developers.

💡Did You Know

IO Interactive secured the James Bond video game rights by placing Daniel Craig's head on Agent 47's body in a Hitman demo. The Danish studio showed license holders MGM and Eon the sun-soaked Sapienza level, demonstrating how their social stealth gameplay could capture Bond's charm and espionage beyond gunfights.

"We just modeled his head and put it in instead of Agent 47, just for demo purposes," IOI CEO Hakan Abrak revealed, showcasing how Bond could navigate situations using wit rather than violence.

The pitch worked. IO's upcoming 007 First Light features Patrick Gibson as a 26-year-old James Bond in an origin story, exploring how the spy learned his craft rather than starting as the polished agent fans know.

📜 Quote of the Day

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