Xbox said Wednesday it is rolling out two previews for Xbox Cloud Gaming. The tests include using a phone as a controller on supported Smart TVs and trying a new Wi‑Fi link for the Xbox Nano Controller in the United States.
The company said phone-based controls open in a mobile browser on supported Android and iOS devices, so a separate controller is not needed. Some games will have controls tailored to how they play, according to Xbox. The preview is rolling out on supported TVs in countries where Xbox Cloud Gaming is available.
Xbox said players in the U.S. can preview cloud connect with the Xbox Nano Controller starting Wednesday. Instead of using Bluetooth to reach a TV, the controller uses Wi‑Fi to connect directly to the cloud server running the game. That can help reduce input latency, so gameplay may feel more responsive, the company said.
Both experiences are early tests, and availability and supported games or devices may be limited while Xbox gathers feedback. Cloud connect will not work with every cloud gaming experience yet and, for now, can be tried on supported Smart TVs and the web, Xbox said.
To set up cloud connect on the Xbox Nano Controller, Xbox said players can use the Xbox beta app on Android or the Xbox Accessories app on PC, with Xbox Insider enrollment required for setup through the PC app. After connecting the controller to a Wi‑Fi network in the app, players sign in to a supported Xbox Cloud Gaming experience with the same Xbox account used during setup.
Xbox said it is testing both experiences to learn what works well and what needs improvement and asked players to submit feedback through the preview interfaces or Xbox apps.