Xbox Cloud Gaming now lets you play on a smart TV with your phone as the controller
No controller near the sofa is no longer a reason to skip a cloud game on the TV. Microsoft has started a preview of Xbox Cloud Gaming that turns a supported Android phone or iPhone into the gamepad on supported smart TVs.
There is no app to install for it. The TV shows a QR code, the phone opens the controls in its browser, and some games get layouts built around how they actually play. To switch it on, go to Settings, then Account, and enable Preview Features in the latest smart TV app; the phone option then appears whenever a game starts without a physical controller. It is rolling out in every country where Xbox Cloud Gaming works.
The second preview is for owners of the Xbox Nano Controller in the US. Its new cloud connect mode skips the Bluetooth link to the TV and talks over Wi-Fi straight to the server running the game, which Microsoft says can cut input latency. You pair it once using either Xbox Accessories on a PC, which needs Xbox Insider membership, or the beta Xbox app for Android. For now it works only on supported smart TVs and in the browser.
Both features are labelled tests, and Microsoft warns that supported games and devices may be limited while it collects feedback. Fewer wireless hops between a pad and a data center is the right direction for anyone who has felt cloud lag. The company has not said when either option will leave preview.
Reported by Xbox Wire. Compiled with AI tools.
See also
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