More than 20 million players had streamed games using Xbox Cloud Gaming, according to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, during the company's first-quarter fiscal 2023 earnings call on Tuesday. The 10 million amount Microsoft disclosed earlier this year has increased by two. It's obvious that the Fortnite partnership has boosted Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Microsoft doubled its original estimate of 10 million players before Epic Games and Microsoft joined forces to bring Fortnite to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Given that Xbox Cloud Gaming is the only game that can be played without an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and is entirely free through the service, it is clear that the partnership has benefited Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Even if Xbox Cloud Gaming is growing, it's unclear how other streaming services are faring in comparison. Google never disclosed Stadia figures before to unexpectedly announcing that the game streaming service would end in January 2023. Nvidia doesn't typically share GeForce Now subscription numbers, and we haven't heard anything from Amazon regarding its Luna numbers.

Even though the $14.99 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership is still primarily required for Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft might start allowing other free-to-play games after the Fortnite trial. Microsoft generates money from in-game purchases, and customers can stream games for free using their smartphones or web browsers. Microsoft may eventually decide to extend this tactic outside Fortnite. 

Microsoft is currently planning to expand the selection of games available from your game library, deploy the service to Meta Quest VR devices later this year, and add keyboard and mouse functionality for Xbox Cloud Gaming.