You’ll soon no longer need an Xbox console if you have an Amazon Fire TV. Microsoft and Amazon announced Thursday that the Xbox app is coming to Fire TV devices in July.
The Xbox app works with Cloud Gaming, which means with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can stream a huge catalog of games from the Xbox library, including many first- and third-party titles that come to the service on launch day. Huge games like Starfield, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, and the Fallout series are just some examples, and the available games are always changing.
Just connect a Bluetooth controller, and you can play games like you would on a console — minus having to be constantly online for cloud streaming and dealing with any connectivity issues, of course.
“We’re excited to work with Microsoft to bring the Xbox app to select Fire TV devices so customers can enjoy a vast library of high-quality games, allowing them to play amazing titles without the need for a console,” said Fire TV Vice President Daniel Rausch in a press release. “Now customers have even more ways to play the games they love, wherever they are, with just a compatible Fire TV Stick, Bluetooth controller, and Game Pass Ultimate membership.”
Even if you don’t have a Fire TV, you can turn your TV into one with a Fire TV Stick, which will also support the Xbox app. If you have multiple non-Fire TVs in your home, that means you can potentially install the app on the stick, and move it between devices. The Xbox app will work on both the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and the older Fire TV Stick 4K.
As Rausch mentions, you’ll need a separate game controller to play through the app, but most modern Bluetooth controllers will work just fine. Microsoft itself sells Xbox controllers that are up to the task (and they’re generally some of the best options if you want a Bluetooth controller anyway).
We don’t have an exact release date just yet, but when the app launches, it will be available in over 25 countries.
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