Xbox Cloud Gaming lets a phone be the controller on smart TVs
Wednesday's preview drops the need for a physical gamepad on supported TVs. The Nano Controller's cloud connect, by contrast, works only in the United States.
Playing Xbox Cloud Gaming on a smart TV with no gamepad in the house is now possible. Xbox opened two previews on Wednesday, and the first turns an Android or iOS phone into a controller. The second, cloud connect for the XBOX Nano Controller, works only in the United States.
Until now, the Xbox app on a TV needed a gamepad paired over Bluetooth. In the preview, the controls open in the phone's browser, so there is no separate app to install, and some games offer a button layout built for them.
To try it on a supported smart TV, go to Settings, then Account, and switch on preview features in the latest version of the app. Launch a game with no controller connected, choose to use your phone and scan the QR code on the screen. Supported TVs are listed on Xbox's verified devices page.
The phone preview rolls out to countries where the service exists. Cloud connect is different: it links the Nano Controller over Wi-Fi straight to the server running the game instead of going through the TV by Bluetooth. That route can make inputs feel more responsive, the company says, while cautioning that it is an early test and does not work with every cloud experience.
Both features are in preview, and Xbox has not said when they will reach all users. Phone testers can tap the Xbox icon and choose "Give Feedback."
