Xbox tests phone-as-controller and Wi-Fi cloud connect for Cloud Gaming
The gist
Xbox began rolling out two Cloud Gaming previews: a phone used as a controller on Smart TVs and, in the US, Wi-Fi cloud connect on its $49.99 Nano Controller.
The tests come as Microsoft moves cloud play toward monthly hour limits and paid playtime packs.
How it unfolded
- Nov 26, 2025Xbox Cloud Gaming reaches 29 countries after expanding to India; cloud gaming with Game Pass is up 45%.
- Dec 19, 2025Cloud Gaming leaves beta and is available with Game Pass Essential, Premium and Ultimate, with cloud hours up 45% year over year.
- Sep 3, 2026Microsoft announces monthly cloud hour limits for Game Pass starting in November, plus pay-as-you-go playtime hours purchasable through the Xbox Store.
Key terms
- Cloud Gaming
- A service that runs video games on remote servers and streams them to a user's device over the internet.
- Game Pass
- A subscription service offering a rotating library of games to download and play on various devices.
- input latency
- The delay between a user's action and the response shown or returned by the system.
Source: Wikipedia