Microsoft tapped a trio of operators in the US, UK and South Korea to conduct public trials of its forthcoming Project xCloud game streaming service, in a move to better understand the needs of mobile players.

Starting next month, Microsoft will invite a limited number of players to take part in the test, streaming a handful of popular console games to Android smartphones and tablets over the networks of T-Mobile US, Vodafone UK and SK Telecom.

Though it has been running internal tests of the service, Microsoft said in a blog the public trials across mobile networks will help it ensure Project xCloud “is optimised for the widest range of network configurations possible”.

“We’re building this technology so gamers can decide when and how they play…It’s time to put Project xCloud to the test in a broader capacity, with a range of gamers, devices, network environments and real-world use-case scenarios”.

The move comes as operators and vendors increasingly turn their attention toward mobile gaming.

Sprint highlighted the segment at a 5G launch event in August, talking up a partnership with cloud gaming service Hatch.

In July, Qualcomm inked a deal with Tencent to optimise future mobile games for Snapdragon-based devices, while Apple and Google have each launched subscription services offering hundreds of mobile games for a single monthly fee.