As of November 4, 2026, you’re no longer up a creek without a controller if you want to play an Xbox Cloud game and your controller batteries are dead. You can just connect your smartphone to your smart TV and use it as a controller.
how it works
Head to your Xbox’s Settings menu, click your way into Account, and toggle on Preview Features. Next time you launch an Xbox Cloud Gaming game, make sure you don’t have a separate controller connected, and you’ll see your smartphone connect to take over controller duties.
Not every smartphone or smart TV works yet, and while we don’t have a list from Microsoft yet I’d expect the major brands to work first. “Both experiences are still being tested,” Microsoft wrote in its announcement on November 4, 2026. “Availability and supported games or devices may be limited while we learn from your feedback.”
Honestly, it sounds like it’d work in a pinch—but if you’re routinely lacking a controller, I’d suggest you take a look at a proper controller for long-term use. (Especially since the brand new Nano actually fits in your pocket, so there’s really no excuse to be using your phone anyway.)
actual xbox controllers
Everybody’s eyes this November have been on the Xbox Nano Controller that Microsoft just released, the $50, 3.5″-long Xbox controller that omits none of the 18 inputs of the full-sized deal but can slip into a jeans pocket. We put together a quick cheat sheet of where you can find one for sale.
There’s always the original Microsoft Xbox Controller if you need a replacement or another for a friend who’s dropping by for a little split-screen action. Ordinarily it retails for $65, but lately I keep seeing it at or just over $50, making the choice between it and the Nano less about price and more about whether your hands prefer a large or small controller.
Microsoft’s top-level controller is the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core. At $150, the price alone makes that clear. But at Walmart right now it’s currently $40 off and selling for $110. It’s still a pricey controller, but if a rechargeable battery that can run for up to 40 hours and customizable button mapping is worth it to you, this is Microsoft’s official answer to the slew of third-party “pro” controllers out there.
