Quake 2, State of Decay 2, and more get mouse and keyboard support on Xbox Cloud Gaming
Several more games now support mouse and keyboard controls through Xbox Cloud Gaming.
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What you need to know
More Xbox games are now playable with mouse and keyboard through the cloud.
An update toXbox Cloud Gamingbrings mouse and keyboard support for several more games, including Quake 2 Remastered and Undead Labs' State of Decay 2, as shared viaXbox Support. You can see the full list of games that now feature mouse and keyboard support through Xbox Cloud Gaming below:
Microsoft first began addingmouse and keyboard support for Xbox Cloud Gamingtitles a few weeks ago, with an initial batch of games that included Fortnite as well as a number of first-party games like Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition,Halo Infinite, and Pentiment.
Xbox Cloud Gamingrequires players to be subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, as well as having a compatible Android or iOS device, a Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, or Xbox One console to stream games to.
What’s next for Xbox Cloud Gaming?
While Microsoft has been working on Xbox Cloud Gaming (once referred to as xCloud) for years now, the program was essentially put on ice for a time, with very little to no investment in 2023 as the company was embroiled in regulatory headaches over thethen-pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard King.
At the time, some regulators such as the CMA in the U.K. were enamored with the idea that Cloud gaming would allow Microsoft to massively leapfrog its competitors and seize control of the gaming industry. Microsoft made a number of agreements to assuage concerns,including a massive dealallowing anyone in the EU to stream an Xbox first-party game they purchase digitally through any Cloud gaming service they choose.
Since the Activision Blizzard King purchase was finalized, we’ve seen Microsoft steadily reinvest in Xbox Cloud Gaming, with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer stating thatthe company intends to allow players to stream games they own this yearwithout having to be subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
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I’m expecting regular announcements with new batches of games that support mouse and keyboard input over the cloud in the months ahead. Hopefully we’ll also get updates on other features, such as the ability to stream games you own without a subscription.
While it’s nottechnicallypart of Cloud gaming, I also hope we hear more about the planned Xbox mobile store this year, as Microsoft’s approach to native mobile games will hugely inform its plans and abilities surrounding Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter@SamuelTolbert.
