Microsoft just announced that it is bringing the Xbox app to Amazon Fire TV devices. The app will release sometime in July giving Fire TV 4K Max (2023) and Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) owners access to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta).
Once the Xbox app is released, Fire device owners will require a Xbox Game Pass Ultimate along with a Bluetooth-enabled controller, to access the service and play games. Microsoft in its announcement blog post mentioned that the Fire device users will be able to gain access to over 100 games, which will include the latest Xbox titles like Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite and more. The Game Pass Ultimate required for this will also work on PCs, Xbox and smartphones.
No console, no problem 🔥
Xbox Gaming is coming to select @amazonfiretv sticks, where you’ll be able to play games directly from the Xbox app: https://t.co/VhJRcGpNuS
— Xbox (@Xbox) June 27, 2024
This new partnership does come as a surprise as Amazon also runs a cloud gaming service, called Luna. Bringing in the Xbox app onto its devices, does make us question the future of Luna. However, in a statement, the company has said that the partnership with Microsoft is "an extension of Amazon’s commitment to bringing the best entertainment experiences to our customers, including top-tier cloud gaming options."
Back in February, the company’s gaming chief, Phil Spencer said "I don't think we're doing a good enough job finding new players." Adding the Fire TV devices seems to be another victory for Microsoft, as the company is looking to expand its precense in the gaming market.
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This is not the first time Xbox is targetting TVs directly. To recall, back in 2022, Microsoft had partnered with Samsung to have the Xbox cloud gaming platform available on its smart TVs.
