Hannah Hopkins 
Jan 26, 2024
Microsoft is introducing touch controls to its Xbox apps for iOS and Android devices. The company began testing the touch controls in beta versions of the Xbox mobile apps this week, allowing Xbox users to remotely manage their consoles and play games on their phones and tablets without a Bluetooth controller.
The touch controls being inspected are the same as those available on Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service, providing an on-screen overlay for navigating the Xbox UI and accessing games with the help of your own console without requiring a controller.
The addition of touch controls is quite an impressive offering for those accustomed to the typical manner of using Bluetooth controller to leverage the remote play experience, as reported by The Verge.
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Using a dedicated controller surely provides a better experience. However, as per what the company disclosed a couple of years ago, around 20pc of Xbox Cloud Gaming players exclusively use touch controls.
Microsoft has been incorporating custom Xbox touch controls into numerous Xbox games, and they have been particularly popular in titles like Hades, Minecraft Dungeons, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon in the past.
Microsoft has also utilised Xbox touch controls for its dual-screen Surface Duo handset, giving it the appearance of a Nintendo 3DS running Xbox games when the controls are activated.
This was previously limited to the small number of people who purchased a Surface Duo, so it's great to see that millions more will now have access to Xbox touch controls on Android and iOS devices.
