Case Study: Xbox Research achieves scalable worldwide virtual playtesting with Parsec

Xbox Research jumpstarts and expands virtual playtesting with Parsec

Xbox Research, the user research division for Microsoft's Xbox, faced a critical challenge when the COVID-19 pandemic halted their in-person playtesting operations. They needed a high-performance remote solution to continue gathering essential feedback from a diverse, global pool of gamers without sacrificing the low-latency, local gameplay feel required for accurate testing. They tried many alternatives but were unsatisfied until implementing Parsec for Teams Enterprise.

Parsec provided a high-fidelity, secure remote access solution that allowed Xbox Research to conduct virtual playtests via Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines. The implementation was a success, enabling the team to run over 20 concurrent playtests for 150+ participants monthly with no drop in quality. Parsec's solution provided the near-zero latency needed for accurate feedback and the security required to protect intellectual property, ultimately allowing Xbox Research to scale its playtesting operations globally.

Xbox

Daniel Gunn

Director of User Research