The Project xCloud preview has been expanded to include sign-ups in 11 more European countries.

Players in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden can now register for the cloud gaming service from Xbox. It is totally free while in the preview testing phase.

Project xCloud has been available in the UK, US, Canada and South Korea since the end of 2019. It essentially allows you to play almost 100 games streamed over the internet to an Android device, using an Xbox One controller. Xbox added iOS support earlier this year, but that is more restricted.

It also links with an Xbox Live account, so will synchronise cloud saves between your console and your xCloud account.

Xbox appreciates that during these troubled times expanding a streaming service could have some impact on bandwidth in different countries, but so far evidence points to plenty of extra network capacity being available and the company will carefully manage the number of participants to ensure that doesn't change.

"We will take a measured approach to help conserve internet access, beginning the preview in each market with a limited number of people and adding more participants over time," wrote the head of product for xCloud, Catherine Gluckstein, in a blog posting.

To register for the Project xCloud preview in your region, you can sign up for an invite here.

While free-to-play at present, the preview does require specific hardware to work. You will need a phone or tablet running Android 6.0 or greater and with Bluetooth 4.0 at least, a Microsoft account and a Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One Wireless Controller. Xbox also recommends you acquire a phone mount for the controller, unless you are playing using a tablet.

Players in countries not yet listed as supported are also encouraged to sign up. You will then be notified when it is made available.