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Microsoft has flipped the switch and brought hundreds of console-quality video games to Fire TV Stick devices.
Starting today, Fire TV Stick owners will be able to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and stream hundreds of games — like Minecraft, Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, Sea of Thieves, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Dead Space — to your television with no console needed.
Many of these titles, such as Grounded, Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, and Sea of Thieves, are PlayStation 5 games too. To get started, you'll only need to download the brand-new Xbox app for free from the Amazon App Store.
Starting from just £1 for the first fortnight, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a Netflix-like subscription that offers access to a rotating catalogue of console and PC games from Microsoft's in-house studios, which now includes Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, as well as other popular developers, like EA.
After the £1 trial period, the subscription rises to £12.99 a month.
The cheapest Game Pass tier (£7.99) only allows you to play games on PC — not Fire TV and other platforms.
Fire TV Stick owners will be able to play Fortnite for free, with no subscription required, Amazon has confirmed.
With the Xbox app running on your Fire TV Stick, you'll be able to play triple-A console titles like Sea of Thieves, Fortnite, Minecraft, Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and Call of Duty with a Bluetooth-enabled controller
AMAZON PRESS OFFICEYour in-game progress is synched over the cloud, so you can pick up on one device, like a smartphone, iPad, Samsung Smart TV, or Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and then resume where you left off on an Xbox Series X, PC, or Series S console. Xbox has even integrated features like voice chat with other places into its cloud offering, so the experience should be very close to playing on a console.
Fire TV Stick owners can pair Bluetooth-enabled controllers like the Xbox Wireless Controller to play favourites like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Starfield.
Microsoft has confirmed that it's working on an update that'll allow you to stream your entire Xbox library — not only titles that are included in Game Pass. That means any game bought from the Microsoft Store could be played across Xbox consoles, handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally, laptops, and Fire TV.
We're still a few months away from that functionality launching to subscribers. And even at launch, we'd expect some publishers who aren’t willing to be part of Xbox Cloud Gaming to exclude their games.
Unfortunately, not every Fire TV device is compatible with Xbox Game Pass. From July, those with a Fire TV Stick 4K Max released in 2023 or a Fire TV Stick 4K released that same year will be able to start playing console games. These models start from £59.99, although are regularly on sale.
If you're already got one of these streaming gadgets plugged into the HDMI port on your telly, download the Xbox app on your Fire TV device via the Amazon Appstore. Once you install and open the app, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your Microsoft account.
If you're already an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member, you'll have instant access to stream and play any of the hundreds of cloud-enabled titles in the Game Pass Ultimate library.
Not a member? You can sign up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate through the app or head online to get started with a new account.
The launch of the Xbox app on Fire TV Sticks marks the first time the Netflix-like streamer has launched on a device outside of Samsung TVs and monitors. Microsoft has worked with Meta to bring Xbox Game Pass to its VR headsets, and it's also available on smartphones and tablets.
However, there's no support for rival set-top boxes, like Roku and Apple TV as yet.
Speaking about the decision to bring hundreds of games of Fire TV Stick owners, Daniel Rausch, Vice President of Fire TV and Alexa, said: "We’re committed to making it easy for customers to access their favourite entertainment experiences with Fire TV.
"We’re excited to work with Microsoft to bring the Xbox app to select Fire TV devices so customers can enjoy a vast library of high-quality games, allowing them to play amazing titles without the need for a console. Now customers have even more ways to play the games they love, wherever they are, with just a compatible Fire TV Stick, Bluetooth controller, and Game Pass Ultimate membership."
Microsoft has previewed a bevy of new titles coming to its Game Pass Ultimate subscribers soon, including Doom: The Dark Ages, the latest instalment in the long-running Doom franchise, as well as a new Gears of War title, ending a five-year wait for one of Xbox's most popular properties.
Almost all of the games announced during its summer preview event, including the new Doom, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle, South Of Midnight, Perfect Dark, and Call of Duty, will all be available on Xbox Game Pass on the day of launch, indicating that Microsoft is making big bets on the subscription service as it tries to woo consumers grappling with a relatively softer economy.
Microsoft also confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be offered as part of the Game Pass Ultimate subscription when it releases in the coming months. The popular shooter will launch on other consoles, like the PlayStation 5, but it will retail at the usual £69.99 price tag for a copy.
