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YOU can turn your Amazon Fire TV into an Xbox – even if you don't own the gaming console.
A new upgrade coming to Fire TV devices transforms your television into a console in is own right.
It's all thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming, which lets you play games on machines that wouldn't normally have the power to run them.
Simply connect an Xbox joypad (which typically costs $49.99 or less) to your TV and you'll be able to play it just like a regular console.
So how does it work? Through the power of the cloud.
When you watch a movie, the footage is pre-rendered: it's ready to watch in an instant, requiring very little processing power.
But a video game doesn't know what you'll do next, so it needs to render the visuals on the fly.
And to do that, a console needs powerful enough hardware to generate the graphics.
However, a console is no longer necessary: internet speeds are now fast enough that Microsoft can simply render the graphics for you on its own servers.
And then those visuals can be beamed back to you in fractions of a second – so you can play just as if you were gaming on a console.
Importantly, Microsoft is doing the hard computing work, so you'll be able to get high-quality visuals on games like Starfield, Fallout 4, and Forza Horizon 5.
"One of the biggest benefits of cloud gaming is the ability to play premium games without needing a console," Amazon explained.
"The Fire TV Stick may be compact, but it can stream and run graphically intense Xbox games like Senua's Saga: Hellblade II.
"This portability also means you can easily move your cloud gaming setup from the living room TV to a different room or even take it on the road.
"As long as you have a solid internet connection and your compatible Fire TV Stick, and a compatible controller, you can take your Xbox Game Pass games and saved progress travels with you."
Amazon and Xbox are going to allow you to play games on Fire TV devices from July.
There are a few catches, however.
First you'll need to make sure you're using a Fire TV Stick Max (2023) or Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) or later.
The cheapest option there is the stick at $49.99.
Then you'll want to download the Xbox app on your Fire TV device from the Amazon Appstore.
Next sign in with your Microsoft account.
To enjoy cloud gaming, you need to be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member, which normally costs $9.99 a month.
Here's what you'll get from Xbox Game Pass Ultimate...
This not only gets you access to cloud gaming but also a vast library of on-demand video games.
If you don't have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate then you can't play – unless you're wanting to try Fortnite, which is available for free.
Finally, you'll need to connect a compatible Bluetooth controller.
Microsoft says that the Xbox Wireless Controller or Xbox Adaptive Controller will work, as well as Sony's PlayStation DualSense or DualShock 4 joypads.
Once that's done (and as soon as the service goes live in July) then you'll be able to play as much as you like.
