The Xbox game streaming TV app feels almost like the real thing
There's nothing particularly novel about the actual Xbox app. If you've used xCloud, you've seen this interface before. Playing games on the new Xbox app made for TVs feels like a big deal. There's no console and no hidden HDMI streaming device. Yet, in my brief hands-on demo, games like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 loaded quickly and - most importantly - they played well with both Xbox and PlayStation 5 wireless controllers. And if you aren't a Game Pass subscriber, you'll still be able to jump into Fortnite immediately through the app for free after you sign in with a Microsoft account.
The app aims to provide a console-like experience to people who don't want the cost and cruft of buying and setting up a console. It lets you pair a Bluetooth headset to hear audio and chat with Xbox friends, and Xbox save data gets synced over the cloud, letting...