Xbox Cloud Gaming now lets your phone act as a controller on smart TVs, in preview
Scan a QR code and the pad opens in your phone's browser, with no app. In the US, the $49.99 Nano Controller can also test a direct Wi-Fi link to the cloud.
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Xbox Cloud Gaming can now turn an Android phone or iPhone into a controller on supported smart TVs, as a preview. Microsoft announced it on Xbox Wire on November 4, 2026. You scan a QR code on the TV and the controls open in your phone's browser, so there is no app to install. The preview works in every country where Xbox Cloud Gaming is available.
Microsoft also started a separate, US-only preview the same day. It lets the $49.99 Xbox Nano Controller connect to cloud servers directly over Wi-Fi.
What's confirmed
How to turn it on. In the Xbox app on a supported smart TV, go to Settings, then Account, and switch on Preview Features. Then start a cloud game with no controller connected. The TV offers to use your phone for that session and shows a QR code. Scan it with a supported Android or iOS phone, and the controls load in the phone's browser.
Game-specific layouts. Xbox Wire says some games will have touch layouts designed around how they play, rather than a generic on-screen pad.
Where it works. It is rolling out on supported TVs in every country where Xbox Cloud Gaming is offered. Android Authority notes that you still need a compatible TV, and that Xbox lists the supported models on its support site. Microsoft says availability, games and devices may be limited during the preview.
Giving feedback. On the phone, tap the Xbox icon at the top left and choose Give Feedback. On the TV, use the Guide, or the profile icon in the Xbox app's main menu.
Nano Controller cloud connect (US). You set it up with the Xbox beta app on Android or the Xbox Accessories app on PC. The PC route needs Xbox Insider enrollment. You then connect the pad to your Wi-Fi network. When you sign in to a supported cloud session with the same account, the controller talks to the cloud server instead of to your TV over Bluetooth. Microsoft says this can cut input latency. For now it works only on smart TVs and the web.
Background
Phones as controllers are not new. Engadget points out that Netflix already lets phones act as controllers for its games, and that Google's Stadia did both of these things. Stadia let phones act as pads on TVs, and its controller connected straight to the cloud over Wi-Fi. Stadia launched in 2019 and shut down in January 2023. Engadget also notes that new Xbox Cloud Gaming time limits take effect this month, so the input previews arrive while Microsoft is changing how the service works.
My take: what it means for players
I think this is a sensible, low-key feature. A phone pad will not replace a real controller. Engadget is right that touch controls suit slower or turn-based games much better than shooters or fighting games. Anyone who tried mobile touch pads during the 2010s, from emulators to early streaming apps, knows that fast action falls apart without physical buttons. The case where this matters is ordinary: you open a game on the living-room TV, the pad is flat or in another room, and the phone is already in your hand.
The detail I like most is "no app". A browser link from a QR code is about as low-friction as it gets, and it means a friend can pick up player two on their own phone. Microsoft has not confirmed that multiple phones can join at once, though.
The Nano Controller test interests me more on the hardware side. Cutting Bluetooth out of the path is exactly what Stadia's pad did back in 2019, as Engadget notes. Microsoft keeping it to the US and to TVs and the web for now tells me it is still early. I would wait for independent latency tests before buying a Nano Controller for this feature alone.
What we don't know yet
- Supported TVs. Xbox Wire and Android Authority point to a list on Xbox's support site, but the posts do not name models.
- Which games get custom layouts. Microsoft says "some games" without listing them.
- Phone requirements. No minimum Android or iOS version has been published.
- Multiple phones. It is not confirmed whether two phones can act as two controllers in one session.
- Wider release. Neither preview has a date for general availability, and cloud connect has no timeline outside the US.
Quick facts
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Announced | November 4, 2026 (Xbox Wire) |
| Feature | Phone as controller on smart TVs (preview) |
| Phones | Supported Android and iOS, in the browser |
| Setup | TV Xbox app: Settings > Account > Preview Features |
| Regions | All Xbox Cloud Gaming countries |
| Second preview | Xbox Nano Controller cloud connect over Wi-Fi |
| Nano cloud connect | US only; smart TVs and web |
| Nano Controller price | $49.99 (Android Authority) |
FAQ
How do I use my phone as an Xbox controller on my TV?
Enable Preview Features under Settings > Account in the Xbox app on a supported smart TV. Start a cloud game with no controller connected, pick the phone option, and scan the QR code.
Do I need to install an app on my phone?
No. The controls open in your phone's web browser after you scan the QR code.
Does the phone controller work with every cloud game?
Not necessarily. Microsoft says supported games and devices may be limited during the preview, and that some games get touch layouts built for them.
What is Xbox Nano Controller cloud connect?
It is a US-only preview that links the $49.99 Nano Controller to the cloud server over Wi-Fi instead of through the TV over Bluetooth, which Microsoft says can lower input lag.
More: our Xbox Nano Controller cloud connect story.
Sources: Xbox Wire (Microsoft); Android Authority; Engadget; Notebookcheck.
