Xbox partners with Amazon for cloud gaming on Fire TVs

Microsoft and Amazon do announced a cloud gaming partnership starting in July that will allow users with select Amazon Fire TV Sticks to play Xbox games without a console. Instead, users can download the Xbox app on their Fire TV device, sign into their Microsoft account and start playing right away – all without the need for an Xbox console.

If you don’t own an Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can rest assured that it will be cheaper than an Xbox, although there is some money involved. To make the whole situation work, you need to have a Fire TV Stick 4K Max or a Fire TV Stick 4K. You’ll also need a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, as well as a compatible Bluetooth controller (such as an Xbox Wireless Controller or Xbox Adaptive Controller, or a PlayStation DualSense or DualShock 4 controller).

There are some extremely graphically intensive games on Game Pass right now, such as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2as well as technology heavyweights such as Starfield. The Amazon Fire TV Stick uses cloud streaming to allow people to play these games without running them directly from the console hardware. This brings us to the last line item you need to take full advantage of this: decent internet.