Microsoft is expanding the reach of Xbox Game Pass by partnering with Amazon and bringing its cloud streaming capabilities to Fire TV devices. The announcement was made on the official Xbox Wire blog that Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will soon have access to an Xbox app on Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
The streaming service, however, is not usable all over the world. A little over 25 countries will have access to the Xbox Game Pass streaming on Amazon Fire TV devices. Those who do wish to play via cloud streaming and have an Amazon Fire TV device will also need a wireless controller that supports Bluetooth connectivity and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. The company also confirmed that the Bluetooth controller doesn’t necessarily need to be an official Xbox controller, even if players have access to a PlayStation controller, that can be used as well.
Cloud Streaming is not available for lower tiers of Xbox Game Pass, so if you require this feature, you will have to opt for the highest tier. Let’s not forget the most important thing for cloud streaming, a high-speed internet connection.
This means that if you already have an Amazon Fire Stick, a fast internet connection, and a Bluetooth controller, you can simply subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate and start streaming Xbox games without ever needing to buy a physical console.
This is part of the new strategy discussed by Phil Spencer that prioritizes getting more people on to the Game Pass subscription than anything else. While this will achieve that goal, it will also reduce physical console sales in the long run.
Microsoft is truly shaking things up for Xbox owners, as shown in the most recent Xbox Showcase event that unveiled a plethora of exclusives that fans can look forward to. Hopefully, these strategies will pay off in the long term and result in steady competition for Sony’s PlayStation 5.
