Microsoft lets cloud gamers play via phones and links its new compact controller directly to Wi-Fi

Microsoft is rolling out previews for two new Xbox Cloud Gaming control methods. Players streaming on select smart TVs can now use a smartphone as a virtual controller without installing a separate app, relying instead on a browser interface. At the same time, users in the United States can test a direct Wi-Fi cloud connection with the new $50 Xbox Nano Controller, a portable gamepad designed for smaller hands that launches this week. [2][3][4]

To enable the smartphone controller, users must activate Preview Features under the TV app's account settings, with Microsoft noting that certain games will offer custom layouts. Meanwhile, setting up the Nano Controller's Wi-Fi link requires the Xbox beta app on Android or the PC Xbox Accessories app, which requires enrollment in the Xbox Insider program. Microsoft says bypassing Bluetooth in favor of a direct Wi-Fi link to cloud servers aims to reduce input latency, though the feature currently works only on smart TVs and the web. [2][3]

Connecting controllers straight to the cloud mirrors technology previously seen on Amazon Luna and Google's defunct Stadia service. Both features remain in testing and may face limited availability, but The Verge notes that Microsoft plans to expand direct Wi-Fi connectivity to a future Xbox Elite Controller. [2][3][4]