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Xbox cloud gaming is coming to Fire TV devices, which means having a Fire TV device just got better if you’re a gamer. You could already use some Fire TV devices to play games through Luna, Amazon’s own cloud gaming service. But Luna works differently from Xbox cloud gaming and, in some cases, may just not be the right fit for certain users.
For the most part, Luna and Xbox cloud gaming offer the same end result. You’re playing games over an internet connection instead of installing them locally on a device. The two services get there in different ways though. Luna has you subscribe to a channel to get a rotating collection of games in that channel, or you can buy games from certain stores like Ubisoft and GOG. And if the games you buy are supported on Luna, you can stream them. With Xbox cloud gaming, you simply pay for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and you get access to whatever games are in there.
These also rotate in and out, but many of them stick around for quite a long time. And if you’re a fan of Xbox, this is the clear choice for which service to subscribe to. Assuming you only want to pick one. The bad news was that there was never really a way to use the service on Fire TV. Until today.
Xbox cloud gaming will be available on two Fire TV devices to start
Xbox cloud gaming coming to the Fire TV platform is definitely a good thing, but there is one thing you want to make a mental note of. The device compatibility is currently limited. When the availability launches, you can only access the new Xbox app on two Fire TV devices.
These are the Fire TV 4K Stick Max (2023), and the Fire TV Stick 4K (2023). Neither of those devices is particularly expensive, however. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is $60 and the Fire TV Stick 4K is currently on sale for $40. And there’s always a chance the prices drop even more with Prime Day coming up on July 16.
And the nice thing about having the app on the Fire TV Stick is the portability. You can move the Fire TV Stick with you. So if you want to play games on another TV in the home, you can. Or this makes for a really easy way to stream games from a hotel room TV, provided you can give internet to the device. You’ll also need a compatible Bluetooth controller to play.
The app won’t be available until July
Although Amazon and Xbox are making the announcement today, the Xbox app won’t be available on Fire TV just yet. Microsoft says that the app is coming to Fire TV devices in July. So you have a few more days to wait before you can install it and then start streaming games.