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You can now play Xbox games on your Amazon Fire TV Stick – here’s how
You can now play Starfield, Fallout 4 and more directly on your Fire TV Stick
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Last month, Microsoft announced the launch of three new Xbox Series X and Series S consoles. Technically the same as the current consoles, they would have more internal storage and a slight face lift. The catch? They’ll still have an eye-wateringly high price tag.
But thanks to a new partnership between Xbox and Amazon, there’s no need to fork out for a new console if you want to play all the best Xbox games. Starting this month, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can play cloud-enabled games through the Xbox app on certain Fire TV Stick devices.
That means games like Starfield, Forza Horizon 5 and Fallout 4 will be more accessible than ever, and you’ll only need a compatible Fire TV Stick and a Bluetooth controller – that’s much cheaper than a new Xbox Series X – to start playing.
Better yet, because it all works on a Fire TV Stick, you can pluck it out of your telly and bring your Xbox games with you on holiday, or to your mates’ house. Here’s how to get set up and start playing Game Pass Ultimate games on your TV.
Step 1: Get a compatible Fire TV Stick
Not all Fire TV Sticks will be able to run games on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Sadly, even if you’ve got a Fire TV Stick 4K, it’ll have to be one released in 2023 in order to play the cloud-based games.
There are only two compatible Fire TV Sticks – the second-generation Fire TV Stick 4K Max and a second-generation Fire TV Stick 4K. The former costs £69.99 and the latter £59.99 – a fraction of the cost of an Xbox Series X. Plus, they’re bound to go on sale during Prime Day as well.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, 2nd gen: £69.99, Amazon.co.uk
Amazon’s newest Fire TV stick 4K max streaming stick is faster and more intelligent than the previous first-generation model. It features a new quad-core processor, supports wifi 6E, 4K ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos. You get double the internal storage (16GB instead of 8GB), so you can store more apps and games, and you get the new Alexa voice remote enhanced with buttons for channels and recent content.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, 2nd gen: £59.99, Amazon.co.uk
The Amazon Fire TV 4K is 30 per cent more powerful than the first-generation model, thanks to the quad-core processor on the inside. Like the previous model, it supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR, HLG and HDR10+.
Step 2: Download the Xbox app on your Fire TV Stick
Once you’ve booted up your Fire TV Stick, head to the Amazon App Store and download the Xbox app. Then just 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. If you aren’t, you can sign up inside the app.
However, the most affordable way is to buy an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership online, where you’ll find better deals.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: £8.49, Cdkeys.com
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate usually costs £12.99 per month – that’s pretty affordable. For an entire catalogue of new Xbox games to play ever month. But if you buy a membership through the reputable digital games codes retailer CD Keys instead of through Xbox directly, you can save £4.50 per month.
Step 3: Connect a Bluetooth controller
Lastly, connect a compatible Bluetooth controller to your Fire TV Stick. Most Bluetooth-enabled controllers should work – Microsoft has a list of compatible controllers on its website), but if you’ve got an Xbox wireless controller, an Xbox adaptive controller or even a PlayStation dualsense controller or dualshock 4 controller, you’ll be able to start playing.
What is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?
Xbox Game Pass is like having a Netflix subscription but for Xbox games. New games are added every month, including brand new titles the day they are released. There are hundreds of games in the catalogue, including Starfield, Fallout 4 and Forza Horizon 5.
As well as games on your Fire TV Stick, you’ll also be able to download games directly to your PC for both online and offline play. You’ll also gain access to new games for free every month, as well as member-only sales.
Looking for the best Xbox games? We’ve rounded up our favourites