What device you need for Xbox cloud gaming is an easy question to answer: almost any, because its performance doesn’t matter. The game runs on a Microsoft server and only the picture travels to you, so all you need is a supported system, a controller and a connection that can handle the stream. Microsoft has a single official device list, and right above it sits a disclaimer that the list isn’t complete and that other devices may or may not work. Getting started step by step is covered in our article on how to get started with Xbox Cloud Gaming. It can also tide you over temporarily when your Xbox won’t turn on and the console is waiting for repair.
What Xbox Cloud Gaming officially runs on
| Device | Requirements | How to start the stream |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Windows 10 version 20H2 or later | Xbox app, or Edge and Chrome 85 or later |
| Mac and MacBook | macOS 14.1.2 or later | Safari 16.0 or later, Edge or Chrome 85 or later |
| iPhone | iOS 14.4 or later | browser only: Safari 14.0 or later or Chrome 85 or later |
| iPad | iPadOS 14.4 or later | browser only, same versions as on iPhone |
| Android phone and tablet | Android 12.0 or later | Edge or Chrome 85 or later |
| Chromebook | ChromeOS 85 or later | Chrome 85 or later |
| Samsung TVs | 2020 models and newer with software 1300 or higher | Xbox app directly on the TV |
| LG TVs and monitors | webOS 24 or later, 2024 models and newer, selected 2022 and 2023 models with software 23.20.01 or higher, 2025 U8s and U7s smart monitors | Xbox app directly on the TV |
| TVs with VIDAA OS | VIDAA OS 9.6 or higher, including selected Hisense models | Xbox app directly on the TV |
| Amazon Fire TV | Stick 4K Max 1st and 2nd gen, Stick 4K 2nd gen, Stick 4K Plus, Stick 4K Select, Cube 3rd gen, 2025 4-Series and Omni QLED TVs | Xbox app |
| Meta Quest headset | Quest 2, Quest Pro, Quest 3, Quest 3S | Xbox app, the game runs as a 2D panel in space |
| Xbox consoles | Series X, Series S, One, One S, One X | Xbox app on the console |
The numbers in the second column are minimums from Microsoft’s list as of 11 September 2026, not recommendations. Older TVs won’t make it onto the list by accident: for LG the cutoff is software 23.20.01, for Samsung version 1300. For Safari older than 17.0, Microsoft warns about audio problems in party chat, while in-game voice chat works normally.
Microsoft’s official country list marks region support separately for each of the three tiers (Essential, Premium and Ultimate) and separately for streaming free-to-play games like Fortnite, so that’s the place to check your country. Czechia, for example, is listed as supported in all three tiers and for free-to-play streaming, while the Rewards program and Xbox Mastercard are marked as unsupported there. That has no effect on streaming. Which games are in which tier is covered in our article on Game Pass tiers.
Handhelds have their own list
Handheld gaming devices aren’t on the list above; Microsoft has a separate page for them. It names the Logitech G Cloud, Razer Edge, ASUS ROG Ally, ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, again with a note that the list isn’t exhaustive.
Microsoft doesn’t make a dedicated cloud app for handhelds. It sends them to a supported browser at xbox.com/play, and on the ROG Xbox Ally to the Xbox app in Windows. That comes with one annoyance: purchases inside cloud games go through the browser, and Microsoft itself says some in-game stores may end with an error message. The Logitech G Cloud and Razer Edge are worth mentioning mainly because they’re Android devices built for streaming, not local play, so they can’t run a big game on their own. What to buy in this category today is covered in our article on handheld gaming consoles.
Browser only on iPhone and iPad
Apple devices are supported, but through a different route than everything else. Microsoft describes a single method for them: open xbox.com/play in a supported browser, sign in with your Microsoft account and play. There’s no standalone iOS app, so there’s no point looking for one in the App Store.
To make the stream open with a single tap like an app, Microsoft recommends pinning the page to your home screen via the share menu and the Add to Home Screen option. It also warns that a browser built into another app won’t let you add it to the home screen, so a link from a chat or a social network needs to be opened in Safari itself first. Microsoft promises the best results on iOS in Safari, not in Chrome.
What you control it with
A controller connects via Bluetooth or USB, and for selected games you can do without one because they have touch controls. The key limitation concerns the keyboard: mouse and keyboard only work in the cloud on a Mac and on a PC in Edge or Chrome. So on a TV, a phone or a headset, cross them off right away. If you’re still shopping for a controller, the models are compared in our article on which Xbox controller to choose.
For the Meta Quest, Meta lists the supported controllers: the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, Xbox Adaptive Controller and, from other brands, the DualShock 4, Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and Backbone Pro. For the connection, Meta only says “high-speed internet” and recommends playing close to the router; it doesn’t give a specific speed.
What your connection needs to handle
Speed is the only parameter you should really check before your first session. In its answer about connection requirements, Microsoft lists 10 Mbps on mobile devices and 20 Mbps on consoles, PCs and tablets, plus 5 GHz Wi-Fi. The Android support page, however, says 7 Mbps, which contradicts the marketing page. Go by the higher number; the lower threshold guarantees nothing. How much data a stream like this eats is calculated in our article on data usage in cloud gaming, and what latency really depends on is covered in our article on latency in the cloud.
Where the experience is worst
- On a PC with PC Game Pass. Cloud isn’t included in it, and not even the best connection will help. If you want to stream on a computer, you need Essential or higher, or you can turn to another service, such as Boosteroid.
- With two players on one couch. The cloud doesn’t support local multiplayer, and Microsoft says so plainly: one player and one account at a time. Split screen doesn’t work over the stream.
- On a TV with game mode turned off. The TV processes the picture, and the delay this creates adds to the stream’s delay.
- Via mirroring to a second screen. According to Microsoft, casting from a phone to a TV adds more latency and throws off audio sync.
- On the Quest as a substitute for VR gaming. Xbox opens there as a floating 2D panel, not as a game in virtual reality.
FAQ
No. The stream runs on a Microsoft server, so you don’t need a console at all. A supported phone, tablet, computer, TV, Fire TV or Quest headset is enough, plus a controller and a Game Pass subscription on the Essential, Premium or Ultimate tier.
Yes, but only in the browser. There’s no iOS app; you play at xbox.com/play in Safari or Chrome on iOS 14.4 or later. Microsoft recommends Safari and pinning the page to your home screen so the stream opens with a single tap.
Yes, if the TV supports the Xbox app. Microsoft names Samsung models from 2020 and newer, LG TVs with webOS 24 and later, TVs with VIDAA OS 9.6 and higher and Amazon Fire TV devices. The controller pairs via Bluetooth directly with the TV.
Only on a Mac and a PC, and even then only in the Edge or Chrome browser. Mouse and keyboard aren’t supported on a TV, phone, tablet or Quest headset; there you play with a controller or touch.
Check Microsoft’s official country list. It marks support separately for the Essential, Premium and Ultimate tiers and for streaming free-to-play games without a subscription. Czechia, for example, is supported in all of them, and only Rewards and Xbox Mastercard are unavailable there.
Microsoft keeps expanding the device list and says itself that it isn’t exhaustive, so if a specific model is missing from the table, it still makes sense to try streaming a free-to-play game. If you want to stream your own console instead of the Game Pass catalog, you need a different service: Xbox Remote Play. Our other articles on the cloud and Xbox are in the Xbox on Gamers Together section. Details verified as of 11 September 2026.