Xbox is currently testing two new features for its Cloud Gaming service, designed to offer more flexible and responsive play sessions. The most notable of these is a preview that allows users to control games on smart TVs using their smartphones as a virtual gamepad. This feature, available on supported TVs where Xbox Cloud Gaming is offered, is intended for situations where a physical controller is not readily available. Users can connect their Android or iOS devices to the TV by scanning a QR code, which then opens the game controls within the phone's web browser.
Additionally, Xbox is trialing a feature called 'Cloud Connect' in the United States. This aims to reduce input latency by enabling the new Xbox Nano controller to communicate directly with the cloud gaming session over Wi-Fi, bypassing the need to pair with the TV itself. Players can opt into these previews by enabling "Preview Features" in the Settings > Account section of the latest version of the Xbox smart TV app.
Xbox has provided a setup guide for these features, but cautions that both are still in the testing phase. Availability, supported games, and device compatibility may change as Microsoft gathers user feedback. This comes as the updated Xbox PC app, available to the Xbox Insider Program, reportedly offers faster loading times for the application and its various sections.