Best answer: Project xCloud has been in a testing and preview state for a little while now, but now Microsoft is officially launching cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The public preview ended on September 11, but starting on September 15, cloud gaming will move to beta status for Ultimate subscribers while Microsoft spins up its resources to meet the incoming demand. However, if you're a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, you can download the new Game Pass app from the Play Store, pair up a compatible controller, and get gaming!
- Get started: ($1 for first month, $15/mo after at Microsoft)
- Grab a controller: ($60 at Amazon)
- Clip on your phone: ($15 at Microsoft)
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Absolver
- Afterparty
- Age of Wonders: Planetfall
- Ark: Survival Evolved
- Astroneer
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- Battletoads
- Battle Chasers: Nightwar
- Black Desert
- Blair Witch
- Bleeding Edge
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
- Bridge Constructor Portal
- Carrion
- Children of Morta
- ClusterTruck
- Crackdown 3 (campaign)
- CrossCode
- Darksiders Genesis
- Darksiders III
- DayZ
- de Blob
- Dead by Daylight
- Dead Cells
- Dead Island Definitive Edition
- Death Squared
- Deliver us to the moon
- Demon's Tilt
- Descenders
- Destiny 2: Forsaken & Shadowkeep (September 22)
- DiRT 4
- Don't Starve
- Double Kick Heroes
- Drake Hollow
- Dungeon of the Endless
- Enter the Gungeon
- F1 2019
- Fallout 76
- Farming Simulator 17
- Felix the Reaper
- Fishing Sim World: Pro Tou
- For the King
- Forager
- Forza Horizon 4
- Fractured Minds
- Frostpunk: Console Edition
- Gata Roboto
- Gears of War 1: Ultimate Edition
- Gears of War 4
- Gears 5
- Goat Simulator
- Golf with Your Friends
- Grounded
- Guacamelee! 2
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Halo: Spartan Assault
- Halo Wars: Definitive Edition
- Halo Wars 2
- Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
- Hello Neighnor
- Hollow Knight (Renewal)
- Hot Shot Racing
- Human Fall Flat
- Hyperdot
- Hypnospace Outlaw
- Indivisible
- Journey to the Savage Planet
- Katana ZERO (Coming soon)
- Killer Instinct Definitive Edition
- Kona
- Levelhead
- Lonely Mountains: Downhill
- Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite
- Metro 2033 Redux
- Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
- Minecraft Dungeons
- MINIT
- Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
- Moonlighter
- Mortal Kombat X
- Mount & Blade: Warband
- Moving Out
- Mudrunner
- Munchkin: Quacked Quest
- Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
- My Time At Portia
- Neon Abyss
- New Super Lucky's Tale
- NieR:Automata
- Night Call
- Night in the Woods (coming soon)
- No Man's Sky
- Nowhere Prophet
- Observation
- Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Overcooked! 2
- Oxenfree
- Pathologic 2
- Pikuniku
- Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition
- Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
- ReCore: Definitive Edition
- Remnant: From the Ashes
- Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
- Rise & Shine
- River City Girls (coming soon)
- Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition
- Sea Salt
- Secret Neighbor
- Shadow Warrior 2
- Slay the Spire
- Sniper Elite 4
- Spiritfarer
- State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
- Stellaris
- Stranger Things 3: The Game
- Streets of Rage 4
- Streets of Rogue
- Subnautica
- Surviving Mars
- Tacoma
- Tell Me Why (episodes 1-3)
- Terraria
- The Bard's Tale Trilogy
- The Bard's Tale Remastered and Resnarkled
- The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut
- The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- The Gardens Between
- The Jackbox Party Pack 4
- The Long Dark
- The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game
- The Messenger
- The Outer Worlds
- The Surge 2
- The Touryst
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- The Escapists 2
- The Talos Principle
- The Turing Test
- The Walking Dead: A New Frontier (episodes 1-5)
- The Walking Dead: Michone (episdoes 1-3)
- The Walking Dead: Season Two
- theHunter: Call of the Wild
- Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
- Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
- Totally Reliable Delivery Service
- Touhou Luna Nights
- Tracks - The Train Set Game
- Trailmaker
- Train Sim World 2020
- Two Point Hospital
- Undermine
- Untitled Goose Game
- Void Bastards
- Wandersong
- Warhammer Vermintide 2 (coming soon)
- Wasteland Remasterd
- Wasteland 2: Director's Cut
- Wasteland 3
- We Happy Few
- West of Dead
- Wizard of Legend
- World War Z
- Worms W.M.D.
- Xeno Crisis
- Yakuza 0
- Yakuza Kiwami
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
Like with Game Pass for Xbox One and PC, games will come and go, but this is the list that Microsoft has released to the world for the September 15, 2020 launch. And be sure to check out our roundup of the if you're having trouble deciding what to play first.
Do I have to wait to play first-party games?
Nope! Microsoft has said that Game Pass subscribers will get access to most Xbox Game Studios and ID@Xbox titles on launch day, the same as everyone else. It's worth bearing in mind that not all games will come to the console and cloud gaming versions of Game Pass since some are limited to PC (such as Microsoft Flight Simulator).
How do I get started?
It's pretty simple. Once you've signed up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you'll need to get the Xbox Game Pass app for Android from either the or , depending on your preference and availability. Sign into the account you used to sign up for Game Pass Ultimate, and you'll be good to go on that front.
What do I need to play Game Pass games on my phone?
Microsoft says that you will need a few things to get started. First up, you need an Android device running Marshmallow (Android 6.0+) or above, and that has at least Bluetooth 4. The good news there is that encompasses a ton of modern devices. So if you're thinking about an upgrade, be sure to check out our .
Next, you'll want an external controller of some kind since most of the available games won't have a touch input layer applied. You can check our recommendations for the to get started with that requirement. Basically, you can use a lot of different accessories, including a PlayStation DualShock 4!
Finally, let's talk internet connection really quick. If you're on your home Wifi, you'll want to make sure that you're connected to the 5Ghz band for maximum bandwidth. You can also use mobile data, too, but whatever you're using, be sure it's at least a download speed of 10Mbps.
What countries is Xbox cloud gaming available in?
Microsoft has detailed 22 countries for the launch of Xbox cloud gaming for Android. Here's that list:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Spain
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
This is what you'll need to get started with streaming games to your phone via Game Pass. The Ultimate subscription starts at $1 for the first month, then goes to $14.99 per month after that. It's the best deal in gaming right now, and you get a ton with your Ultimate sub.
Grab a controller
Xbox One controller
You're going to need a controller to play Game Pass games on your phone. One of the best recommendations we can make is the official Xbox One controller. Not only is it one of the best ergonomic experiences for gaming, but it pairs right up with your phone.
Clip on your phone
PowerA MOGA Mobile Gaming Clip
If you're rocking an Xbox One controller or another gamepad that doesn't include a clip, then you're going to want some way to hook up your phone to the controller, trust us. This clip is awesome, and it's quite customizable to find the perfect angle and fit for your phone.
Ultimate mobile gaming solution
Razer Kishi
If you want something incredibly mobile and easier to carry around than an Xbox controller and clip, then be sure to check out the Razer Kishi. It basically turns your phone into a Switch to play Game Pass games. It folds up really small, so it's easy to take with you anywhere.