Your TV can stream movies and shows, so why not video games? That’s what Xbox is looking to solve with its new Fire TV Stick app, which will allow players to stream cloud-enabled Xbox Game Pass games without a console.
Technically, this isn’t Xbox’s first time coming to TVs, as the Xbox TV app previously premiered on some Samsung Smart TV models in 2022. But the addition of Fire TV Stick compatibility means any TV with an HDMI port can now become an Xbox, in a way.
To get started, gamers will need either a Fire TV Stick 4K or a Fire TV Stick 4K Max. The latter has a slightly more powerful processor and supports the newer Wi-Fi 6E standard, but both will work with the Xbox app. Otherwise, you’ll just need a Bluetooth compatible controller—it doesn’t need to be an Xbox controller—and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Oddly, the Xbox app is only coming to these two Fire TV Stick models for now, with no announced support for Fire TVs themselves.
There are some caveats, the most obvious being that the service is kicking off in just 25 countries to start. It won’t be available until July, according to an Xbox blog post, so neither Xbox nor Amazon have clarified which countries will have it yet.
The second issue is that cloud streaming has some limitations, and is technically still in beta for Xbox games. For casual access to single-player content, you should be OK, but your performance in multiplayer games could suffer from input lag. You might also notice some artifacting or quality issues when streaming from a remote server, as video will be compressed before making its way to you.
Remember that the Fire TV Stick won’t actually be running your games, but instead sending your inputs to a server, where you’ll need to wait for them to be processed and for video to be sent back to your TV. It all happens in less than a second, but even that minute delay could make a game feel less responsive, especially if your wifi is experiencing issues.
You also won’t be able to play games not included with Game Pass, and you’ll need to keep your subscription up-to-date for every title except Fortnite. Some games also won’t work with cloud gaming yet, even if they’re included in your Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
If you want to try out Xbox cloud gaming before July but don’t have a Samsung TV yet, don’t worry. All Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can already stream games to a browser, an iPhone/iPad, an Android phone, or even an Xbox system.
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