Xbox Game Pass Ultimate On Your Phone

A review of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and how to get the best experience on your phone.

Play Video
Tshaka Armstrong
Feb 18, 2021
Icon Time To Read3 min read

We may earn money when you click our links.

Welcome smartphone and gamer fans!

Today, we're going to go over what Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is, and what that has to do with smartphones. This may be something you're interested in, or it may be something your significant other wants for the holidays, or it may be something your kids are going to be asking you for.

Whatever the case, I'm here to drop some Yoda-like wisdom. So let the haptic force flow through you. Let's go.

What is Microsoft Game Pass Ultimate?

Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon. They're all going after gamers in the mobile space.

Microsoft has long been targeting, pushing its products across screens. All of that began when they came out with Windows 8 and culminated with Windows 10, when they made it possible to stream Xbox games from your Xbox to your Windows 10 PC.

Now Microsoft has added another piece to the puzzle. If you're willing to pay $14.99 a month, you can play a library of Xbox games (with EA games or EA Play), on your Android devices.

For now, that means 150 games streaming from Microsoft xCloud. Think of it like Netflix for video games. With your sub, you'll be able to play those games not only on mobile, but your console and PC.

This will also include Xbox Live Gold for online multiplayer mode, and discounts on games with that $14.99 a month.

What do you need to get Microsoft Game Pass Ultimate?

So gamer dudes, and dudettes, what are you going to need if you want to play Gears of War on your OnePlus 8T or your Note 20 Ultra?

First up, an Android tablet or phone, running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later, equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 or better. Then you'll need a compatible controller which can connect to your phone over Bluetooth or USB.

For controllers, there are few options on the market for you. Some of those announced at the launch of xCloud, one of the ones I'm personally interested in, is Razers Kishi which I will be testing out later this year. Another option is the PowerA MOGA XP5-X. And, of course you can always use your Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controller, except for the older versions with the glossy plastic near the RB and LB buttons.

Have no controller? Don't wanna carry one in your bag? Have no fear. Microsoft is working on adapting some games to use on-screen touch controls as you can see here in the Minecraft Dungeons demo.

And the last component you'll need is a wireless connection.

Wifi recommendations for the Microsoft Game Pass Ultimate

Tis the season for companies pushing 5G like Apple did at its recent launch event. It doesn't support xCloud gaming by the way. But if you don't have a 5g or 10 megabits per second or better connection, you can connect to the five gigahertz band of your WiFi router or the 2.4 if it's fast enough.

That's what Microsoft recommends for the slowest speed you'll need for a good experience.

Don't know what your speeds are? Hit the Play Store and download Speedtest.net from Ookla and test your speed. It's the app I use to do all of the speed tests when I review devices here on the channel.

And that's all you'll need to start gaming!

Get your game on

So now, you need to hit the Play Store and look for the release version of Game Pass for Android–be sure to pay attention, because there are two on the store because the older beta version of the app is still there.

To get the right version, look for the one that is filled in with green, not white, as you see here on the left. Once you have the app downloaded, sign into your Microsoft account and you'll see three different options for play, cloud, console, and PC.

Obviously here you'll wanna choose “cloud”. The great thing about the streaming service is that you can pick up where you left off on whatever platform you play on. Once you choose your game and hit play, your save data from your Xbox will be saved and you'll continue where you left off on mobile.

And that's pretty much it.

If there's anything that you need to know, they can hit me in the comments and let me know, and I will answer it, okay? Thank you for watching, catch you on the next video.

And hey, if this information, any of these videos have helped you, please consider hitting us with that thumbs up, hitting that subscribe, and hitting that notification bell so you'll be notified when we upload the latest content.

Follow us on YouTube!
Megaphone

If this video helps you, please hit those Like and Subscribe buttons.

And go on and smash that notification bell to get updates whenever we put out a new video.

Tshaka Armstrong
Written by
Tshaka Armstrong
Tshaka is a nerd and Griot. Founder of the non-profit digital literacy organization Digital Shepherds, he’s also been a broadcast technology reporter, writer, and producer. In addition to being an award-winning broadcast storyteller, he’s also covered tech online and in print for everything from paintball gear technology, to parenting gadgets. He blathers on about his many curiosities on social media everywhere as @tshakaarmstrong.

Related Articles

An Asian woman orders takeout on her phone while watching TV
Best Spectrum TV and Internet Bundles 2023
Save some money by pairing your Spectrum cable TV and internet together. Find out which...
Xfinity Mobile vs. T-Mobile Cell Phone Plans Review
Xfinity Mobile vs. T-Mobile: An in-depth review. We compare plans, pricing, and features so you...
Acorn TV image
Acorn TV Review
Acorn TV is for British drama, comedy, and mystery fans. We go over pricing, where...
Mbps vs. Gbps Do You Need Gigabit Internet
Mbps vs. Gbps: Do You Need Gigabit Internet?
Several providers are now offering gigabit internet speeds. But do you need such swift internet,...