How to get xCloud from Microsoft and stream Xbox games to your phone right now

Microsoft’s xCloud game streaming capabilities will be officially included in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription starting September 15, with support for over 100 games. However, you don’t have to wait to try out the cloud gaming service, and you might already have all the components you need to make it happen.

Here’s what you’ll need to try it out for yourself:

• A subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the Microsoft service that costs $ 14.99 per month and also provides a catalog of Game Pass games on console and PC, as well as Xbox Live Gold for online multiplayer and game discounts.

• An Android phone or tablet running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later and having Bluetooth 4.0 or higher. You will need such a device to download the app from the Google Play Store. For now, xCloud will not be coming to iPhones.
• A compatible controller to connect to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth or USB. As for connecting via USB, you should be able to use a micro USB (which DualShock 4 and Xbox wireless controllers use) to USB-A cable with an OTG adapter (micro USB, USB-C) to fit the charging port of your phone. The Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One Wireless Controller will work great if you add a phone clip, but note that the old one with shiny plastic near the shoulder buttons does not support Bluetooth.

(You can also try one of the recently announced xCloud-ready controllers, including PowerA’s MOGA XP5-X, 8Bitdo SN30 Pro for Xbox, or Razer’s Kishi for Xbox, each including a clip or other slot for your Le Xbox Elite Gen 2 controller will also work, as will the upcoming Xbox Series X controllers that have found their way into the hands of a few lucky buyers. Microsoft is working on adapting onscreen touch controls for some of its games when the controller is not available, although this feature will not be added until xCloud launches in September.)

• Finally, a fast Wi-Fi or cellular connection. Microsoft suggests connecting to your router using a 5 GHz Wi-Fi signal, but whether you are at home or connected to an LTE or 5G tower, you should have download speeds of at least 10 Mbps for a good experience. You can check your download speeds at speedtest.net.

Now that you have everything you need to try xCloud, here’s how to do it in the Xbox Game Pass app.

Download the beta version of the Xbox Game Pass app

Until xCloud officially arrives at Game Pass Ultimate on September 15, Microsoft is limiting the cloud streaming service to the beta version of the Game Pass app on Android. So to try it out before that you will have to download this beta. If you search for “Game Pass” on your phone in the Play Store, you should find two versions of the app. The beta version has an icon with a white background (download this one), while the standard version has a green background.

Connect a controller via Bluetooth or USB

As mentioned earlier, there are several compatible controllers that you can connect to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth. If you’re using Microsoft’s official Xbox controller with Bluetooth support, here’s how to connect it. You will also be able to use Sony’s DualShock 4 once xCloud is launched. You can also connect a controller via USB. If you haven’t connected one before launching a game, the app will warn you to do so.

Photo by Nick Statt / The Verge

It’s also a good idea to get a clip to mount your phone on your controller for easy viewing. PowerA offers a $ 14.99 model that connects to Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Controller with Bluetooth support. Some controllers also include one for purchase.

Start the app and launch a game

Once you are signed in with your Microsoft account, you need to tap or select the ‘cloud’ option under the top section of the app where it shows a highlighted game.

Once selected, all of the games you see below should allow you to play directly from your phone or tablet. Go ahead and click on one, then press “Play” on the next screen as shown below. Your device will take a few moments to boot into the game, but once it does, your save data will automatically sync with your progress on your Xbox One and PC, if you’ve already started the game there.