Xbox previews phone controls and Wi-Fi cloud connect for Cloud Gaming
Xbox is testing phone controls for Smart TVs and a direct Wi-Fi connection for the Xbox Nano Controller.
Xbox is testing two new ways to play through Xbox Cloud Gaming: using a phone as a controller on supported Smart TVs, and connecting the Xbox Nano Controller directly to the cloud session over Wi-Fi in the United States.
Both features are previews rather than finished platform-wide releases. Microsoft says availability, supported games and compatible devices may be limited while it gathers feedback.1
Your phone can become the controller
The Smart TV preview lets players use a supported Android or iOS phone as a controller when they launch a cloud game without a physical controller connected. The controls open in the phone’s browser, and some games may receive layouts tailored to the way they play.
To try it, players need to enable Preview Features under Settings > Account in the latest supported Smart TV experience. When a compatible game starts without a controller attached, Xbox says the session will offer the phone-control option. The preview is rolling out in countries where Xbox Cloud Gaming is supported, but Microsoft’s supported-device list still applies.1
That makes the feature useful for a very specific situation: someone who wants to test a cloud game on a television but does not have a controller within reach. It is not a promise that every phone, television or game will work, and the browser-based controls may not suit games that demand precise physical inputs.
Xbox Nano Controller gets cloud connect
Players in the United States can also preview cloud connect with the Xbox Nano Controller. Instead of using Bluetooth to connect to a television, the controller connects over Wi-Fi directly to the cloud server running the game. Microsoft says that route may make play feel more responsive by reducing input latency.1
The test is limited. Xbox says cloud connect does not yet work with every cloud-gaming experience, and the current preview is available on supported Smart TVs and the web. Setup requires the Xbox beta app on Android or the Xbox Accessories app on PC, with Xbox Insider enrolment required for PC setup. Players then connect the controller to Wi-Fi and sign in with the same Xbox account used during setup.
Our opinion
The phone-controller preview is the more immediately useful idea because it removes the first bit of friction: needing a separate gamepad before a Smart TV cloud session can begin. It is also the feature most likely to expose the awkward side of cloud gaming, because touch controls can be a poor substitute for sticks and triggers in demanding games.
Cloud connect is the more technically interesting test. A direct Wi-Fi path could help Xbox reduce the delay players feel when a controller talks to a television before the game’s input reaches the cloud. But “could” is doing important work here. Microsoft is still testing the feature, and its value will depend on the player’s network, television and distance from the cloud region as much as the controller itself.
These previews are best understood as experiments in making cloud gaming easier to start and less awkward to control. They are not a final expansion of compatibility, but they show Xbox attacking two of the service’s most obvious pain points: finding a controller and keeping input responsive.