Microsoft have rolled out two new previews for Xbox cloud gaming, allowing phones to be used as controllers across supported smart TVs, and using ‘cloud connect’ with the new Xbox Nano Controller.
Xbox Cloud Gaming with your Phone
Revealed on Xbox Wire, players looking to indulge in some Xbox Cloud Gaming that don’t happen to have a controller to hand, can instead use either their Android or iOS phone to interact with the game. It’s only available on supported Smart TVs, the list of which you can find below:
- Amazon
- Fire TV Stick 4K Max (1st Gen)
- Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen)
- Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen)
- Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen)
- Fire TV Stick 4K Plus
- Fire TV Stick 4K Select
- Fire TV 4-Series Smart TVs (2025)
- Fire TV Omni QLED Smart TVs (2025)
- LG: Most 2022 LG OLED TVs and 2023+ LG Smart TVs will run the XBOX app, allowing you to play cloud-based XBOX games. Supported devices include:
- Select LG TVs and smart monitors with webOS 24 or newer versions
- 2024 and newer smart TVs
- Select 2022 and 2023 TV models which have been updated to software version 23.20.01 or higher
- 2022 OLED TVs
- 2023 OLED, QNED, Nanocell, and UHD TVs
- 2025 U8s and U7s smart monitors
- Samsung: 2021 and newer Samsung smart TV models with software version 1300 and higher.
- VIDAA OS-powered TVs: Select TV models running VIDAA OS 9.6 and higher, including select Hisense Smart TVs. For more information on compatible models, reach out to VIDAA support:VIDAA support
If you’d like to give it a try, you’ll need to turn on ‘Preview Features’ by heading to Settings > Account in the latest Smart TV application. If you then launch a game and don’t have a controller connected, you should see an option to use your phone instead.
Xbox Nano Controller
If you’re in the US, and happen to have picked up one of Microsoft’s new Xbox Nano Controllers, you can also preview the new ‘Cloud Connect’ functionality. It’s still a test, and Xbox have been upfront in saying it won’t work with every game just yet, but with the controller connecting directly to the cloud server running your game via Wi-Fi, players should see an improved experience, with reduced input latency and more responsive gameplay. If you’d like to try it out, the instructions are below:
- et up your controller: Use the XBOX beta app on Android, or the Xbox Accessories app on PC, to set up cloud connect on your XBOX Nano Controller. XBOX Insider enrollment is required for setup through the PC app.
- Connect to Wi-Fi: Follow the steps in the app to connect your controller to your Wi-Fi network.
- Start playing: Open a supported XBOX Cloud Gaming experience and sign in with the same XBOX account used during setup. Your controller will connect through cloud connect.
For more detailed instructions, head here.
Xbox are keen for feedback if you do try it out, so be sure to let them know via the feedback options across both mobile and TV experiences.
Did you pick up the Xbox Nano controller? Are you going to try this out? Let us know in the comments below!
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