Microsoft has dismissed Google’s push into video games, saying the company’s upcoming “cloud gaming” service will be unable to match the Xbox console and will lack the catalogue of high profile titles needed to attract gamers.

“Emerging competitors like Google have a cloud infrastructure, a community with YouTube, but they don’t have the content,” said Mike Nichols, the chief marketing officer of Microsoft’s Xbox division.

Google unveiled plans to upend the games industry last month when it unveiled a service called Stadia. It will involve games running on Google’s own servers and being streamed over the internet to a phone, laptop or television.

The company hopes the cloud technology will mean high-performance games can be played instantly, without having to own a powerful computer or console. If successful, the service could alter the games industry in the same way that Netflix and Spotify have changed video and music.

Microsoft has said it plans to unveil its own streaming service soon but Mr Nichols cautioned that it would not be a substitute for its consoles, comparing it to streaming Spotify on a low quality speaker rather than a dedicated music system.