Hardware Ready Ready to Bench?
Microsoft is experimenting with two new features for Xbox Cloud Gaming aimed at providing greater flexibility in controlling games on Smart TVs. The goal is to reduce reliance on traditional physical controllers.
The first new feature allows users to utilize a smartphone, whether Android or iPhone, as a virtual controller. When a compatible Smart TV does not detect a connected controller, the system will automatically suggest using the smartphone to control the game. Controls will be displayed directly within the phone’s browser, eliminating the need to install dedicated applications or additional software to turn it into a gamepad.
Xbox Cloud Gaming: why it matters
Some titles may also offer customized touch controls, specifically adapted to their gameplay characteristics. To access this feature, users must enable the “Preview Features” option within the Settings > Account section of the Xbox experience on compatible Smart TVs. Subsequently, starting a game without having connected any physical controller will cause the television to display a QR code that must be scanned with the smartphone to load the controls onto the mobile device’s screen.
This feature is currently available in countries where Xbox Cloud Gaming is already active, including Italy. Microsoft warns that the availability of compatible devices and games may be limited during this initial testing phase.
The second experiment concerns the new Xbox Nano Controller and, at least initially, is available only in the United States. Instead of the usual Bluetooth connection to the TV, which requires transmitting inputs through the Internet, the controller uses a Wi-Fi connection to communicate directly with the Xbox Cloud Gaming servers on which the game runs. This approach aims to reduce perceived latency during the gaming experience.
What changes and what are the effects
The principle behind this solution recalls that adopted in the past by the Google Stadia controller, a cloud gaming service that was later shut down several years ago. Microsoft has not provided specific numerical data on the achievable latency reduction, limiting itself to explaining that the direct connection “can help” make gameplay more responsive and fluid.
This feature also confirms a characteristic of the new Xbox Nano Controller that Microsoft had not particularly highlighted at the time of its announcement: in addition to standard connection modes, the small controller indeed integrates Wi-Fi technology specifically to communicate directly with the cloud infrastructure.
Source and further reading on Xbox Cloud Gaming: original article.
* Content created with the assistance of artificial intelligence systems.