Project xCloud will launch in a little over a month, and users will be able to play over one hundred different games on an Android smartphone or tablet if they have the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. With the launch finally near, now is the best time to check out these controllers, phones, and tablets to get the best premium experience, or one on a budget.

Best Controllers

In our opinion, one of the best controllers will come from 8BitDo, who revealed a new partnership with Microsoft last month. This SN30 Pro Bluetooth Controller for Android, with clip for handheld use, is small, sleek, and looks to offer the same quality as the SN30 Pro, which has been a great option for the Nintendo Switch and PC gaming.

Players will be able to use this on Android device with Bluetooth, or simply as a normal Xbox console controller, giving users great value for the consumer dollar.

Another great option is to pick up the Razer Kishi, which is basically a shameless rip-off of the Nintendo Switch design and makes for comfortable gaming on a smartphone. This option looks to be a little wider than your standard Joy-Cons, which should allow for easier play without getting cramped hands.

While the Razer Kishi is one of the best options for mobile gaming, it does not connect wirelessly to either a PC, or smartphone, nor does it fit tablets since the controller needs to plug into the USC-C port. Still, this is a great choice for those who will only use their smartphones, but less than ideal for everyone else.

For those who have Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers, a great budget option is to simply use either of those. Last year, Microsoft confirmed that even Sony’s controllers would work on xCloud, so there may not even be a need to spend any money here.

Best Premium Phones And A Few On A Budget

If looking to upgrade to a new phone or tablet specifically to stream games off xCloud, there are several great options that fall into the premium and budget categories.

By far, one of the best options is the OnePlus 8T, featuring an impressive-looking Fluid AMOLED display, strong refresh rate, and a 3800 mAh battery that will provide a ton of uninterrupted playtime before requiring a charge. The OnePlus 7T, a generation older, is also a great choice. The Asus ROG Phone 2 is another great option for mostly the same reasons, but with even more battery life.

Another great option is Samsung’s line of Galaxy Note phones, with the S20 offering some of the best performance, but one could also do quite well with either the S9, S9+, or S10 series.

In terms of budget options, the Google Pixel 3a is one of the best options here. While we use the term “budget”, the phone still features a great touchscreen and many of the premium benefits of the pricier Pixel 3 and 4 phones. In any case, there are many phones that can work well with xCloud, and these are some of the ones that stand out most by features or low price.

Best Tablets And A Great Budget Option

Like smartphones, there are so many options available for tablets, though the budget options are far less expensive and might be a good starting point for someone looking to try out xCloud without a large cash commitment up front.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is one of the best options for tablets, with a large, 7,040 mAh battery for long gaming sessions, crisp display, and an S Pen as a bonus for using apps designed for larger screens. For those who would spend a little more, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 (without the Lite) is probably the best Android tablet on the market right now.

Apart from an Android device and a controller, players need to ensure they have access to at least 10Mbps of download bandwidth, and 5 Ghz Wi-Fi is recommended. Having the best hardware will be useless without this, since the games are being streamed to the device, and not being run on the actual hardware itself.

As we have seen above, there are so many options for players to check out xCloud at launch in mid-September at several price points. Given that there are over one hundred games to play, there really is no reason not to check it out!

Source: xbox.com

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