Microsoft has begun previewing two new ways to control Xbox Cloud Gaming, according to XBOX Wire and confirmed in reports from The Verge and Engadget. The first lets players use a smartphone as a controller on supported smart TVs. The second connects the new Xbox Nano controller straight to cloud servers over Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth.
The cloud connect option for the Xbox Nano starts rolling out in preview in the United States today, while the phone-controller experience is the one players outside the US can try. Microsoft says both features are still being tested, and that availability, supported devices and supported games may be limited during this beta phase.
Xbox Cloud Gaming phone controller and Nano cloud connect
The Xbox Nano's cloud connect feature is the more technical of the two. Instead of talking to the TV over Bluetooth, the gamepad uses Wi-Fi to reach the cloud server running the game directly. The Xbox team says that can help reduce input latency so gameplay may feel more responsive.
The phone-as-controller option is the simpler one. The interface opens in a browser on supported smart TVs, so no dedicated app is required, and Microsoft says some titles ship with custom controller layouts. Engadget notes that Netflix and other streaming services already offer something similar, and that a phone is more comfortable for turn-based or slower games than for fast, complex titles.
- Cloud connect on Xbox Nano: the controller connects via your Wi-Fi network directly to the cloud server running the game, skipping the Bluetooth link to the TV.
- Microsoft says this can reduce input latency, so gameplay may feel more responsive.
