You're now able to "play Xbox without Xbox" using Amazon Fire TV Sticks
Microsoft is betting big in cloud gaming
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Key notes
- Microsoft has launched the Xbox TV app on Amazon Fire TV Sticks, making Xbox accessible without a console.
- A Game Pass Ultimate subscription and a Bluetooth-enabled controller are required to play.
- The app is initially available on Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) and Fire TV Stick 4K (2023).
Microsoft wants to make Xbox accessible to all—even if you don’t have an Xbox. The Redmond tech giant announced some time ago that Xbox Gaming was coming to Amazon Fire TV and it’s controllable using the Stick. And now, that promise turned into reality as Microsoft has started rolling out the Xbox TV app on several Amazon Fire TV Sticks, starting today.
The announcement came with an advert, “Play Xbox without Xbox.” That seems to be the main idea of Xbox’s cloud gaming coming to TVs, except that you still need a Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play these games.
It means the only accessible games on Amazon Fire TV Sticks are those in the catalog—for now, at least, as there are talks of bringing more games outside the catalog to cloud gaming and to TVs.
The Xbox app’s launch on Amazon Fire TV Sticks marks its first availability beyond Samsung devices, starting with Samsung 2021 Smart TVs. Last year, Xbox Cloud Gaming also arrived on Meta Quest headsets.
Microsoft said that, for now, the Xbox app will arrive selectively on Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) and Fire TV Stick 4K (2023). All you need is a compatible Fire TV Stick and a Bluetooth-enabled controller, besides the subscription. You can even use a DualShock 4 controller from Sony’s PS4 or DualSense’s PS5, as long as the Bluetooth is working.
“For casual gamers or those new to the hobby, it provides an easy, low-cost entry point to explore the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library. Hardcore gamers can use it as a convenient way to play on another TV or take their games on the go,” Amazon said at the launch.
