Xbox is testing two new ways to play its cloud games, and one of them doesn’t require a controller.
Announced on Xbox Wire on November 4, the phone controller preview is rolling out to supported TVs wherever Xbox Cloud Gaming is available. The phone option – which works with Android and iOS devices – lets you use your phone “as a controller when you don’t have one nearby.” Connect to your TV via QR code and the controls open in your phone’s browser.
The second preview, called Cloud Connect, is currently limited to the US and allows the new Xbox Nano controller to communicate with your cloud session over Wi-Fi instead of pairing directly with your TV to “help reduce input latency, so gaming is more responsive.”
To try the phone controls yourself, enable preview features under Settings > Account in the latest version of the Xbox Smart TV app.
Xbox has released a setup guide with full instructions, but you should note that both experiences “are still under testing,” so availability and supported games or devices “may be limited while (Xbox) learns from your feedback.”
ICYMI, as of yesterday, everyone in the Xbox Insider Program can try out Microsoft’s updated Xbox PC app. The company says it now starts 60% faster, multiple pages can launch up to 50% faster, and in-app windows can open up to 65% faster.
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