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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will launch the option to stream games from the cloud starting tomorrow, September 15. This will give subscribers in 22 countries the ability to play full console games on one Android device. Like Netflix, it won’t host anything locally. Instead, you control what is effectively a video stream that connects to your device from a remote computer. And I hope this is the last time I have to explain cloud gaming, because the technology is about to become mainstream. Or, at least, that’s the goal of Microsoft (and competitors like Google and Nvidia). But the problem is no longer technology. That part works. The problem is what is in your hands and in your home.
When moving objects like letters and packages, the most expensive part of the shipping trip is the last mile. It takes more time and effort. Something similar happens with remote games. Microsoft can build a pristine network at the backbone of the Internet to deliver games to its customers in an instant, but once the video stream reaches a person’s home, it’s up to the end user to get a decent experience.
In part, it’s a problem with home networks or mobile data when traveling. But I think the most pronounced complication is with the hardware you will be using to interact with cloud games.
Microsoft wants to get more subscribers on its $ 15 per month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes cloud streaming at no additional charge. That service has over 150 games and even more is coming soon. You can find the full list on the Xbox News blog.
But if this is going to work, Microsoft will have to pay close attention to the last mile experience.
Phone clips and other questionable solutions for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
The most obvious way to play a cloud streaming game is on your phone, but what are you going to do with the controls? You can use on-screen buttons if you are an animal, but most people will want a controller. These games were made for gamepads and you should use one. And there is no really convenient way to combine your phone and a controller into one cohesive gaming unit. Instead, we are currently settling for the phone clip.
Above: a phone clip.
Image Credit: Xbox
These clips are pieces of plastic that wrap around your gamepad and then hold your phone over it. This is a functional form factor, and that’s the best I can say. Even in their prime, they feel uncomfortable. Everything is too heavy and wobbly. For example, I don’t like to use this setting when lying down because it looks like the phone is going to fall. It probably won’t, but it looks like it will. Unconsciously, I end up cradling the clip and the phone lightly in a way that tires my hands.
But even outside of comfort, it’s a lousy experience. The clamp always hits my volume rocker so I need to slightly offset the device. This ends with me holding the controller off-center so the screen is still in the right place. It is not a great experience.
You will want something better
I found a smartphone cloud gaming setup that do like, however. Razer’s Kishi is a universal gamepad that the company designed for phones. The one I tested works with just about any portable Android device, and you can get it for $ 80 (or $ 100 with the Xbox brand).
The Kishi is great in many ways. It’s decent as a controller, but I appreciate that it’s not Bluetooth. Instead, it connects directly to your phone for low-latency gaming. The design also makes your phone feel a bit like a Switch, which is my favorite way to play handheld games.
But I don’t love the Kishi. It is a good device that I I like it using, but it’s this separate clunky thing that you have to buy and carry with you if you want to play. And generally, I don’t like my phone getting stuck in something like a case or a clamp. I usually keep my phone with me when I am touching something, but lose it when I use it to play games. This sucks when I feel like checking social media during a long loading screen.
All of this makes me wish I could get Microsoft’s xCloud streaming on Switch (no home solutions). However, Nintendo doesn’t seem open to that. So I would appreciate a dedicated Xbox handheld. Maybe something that’s great for running standalone games and then you can stream the rest from the cloud. Maybe work with the Surface Duo team on a fancy controller plugin and then let me use my second screen while I play. I’d probably still wait for a second-gen Duo, but would seriously consider it if it included a fix for the cloud gaming form factor problem.
Microsoft knows what you need
The only thing I can about Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and cloud gaming is that Microsoft seems to understand these issues. It has partnered with Samsung and Razer to specifically address these concerns. During Samsung’s Unpacked event in August, Phil Spencer joined the broadcast to talk about bringing Game Pass to Galaxy phones. And having hardware associations like this could prove important. If Microsoft thinks of something it wants or needs to improve streaming, Samsung is the market leader. You can do something and others will follow.
But it goes beyond phones and consoles. Samsung makes TVs too, and the idea of getting Xbox Game Pass Ultimate directly on a smart TV is compelling. If all you need to get started is to install an app on the TV you already have in your family room, Game Pass could be over quickly. And again, partnering with Samsung could mean moves like including an Xbox gamepad with certain TVs.
Microsoft can make this work, and I hope it does. I am too busy for traditional console games. Give me something that can move with me, works well in high-end games, and is as comfortable as the Switch. It’s not at that level yet, but Game Pass seems to understand that trajectory.
