The dual-screen Surface Duo can now utilize one of its screens as a virtual gamepad when playing games via Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming, thanks to a new update for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.
As reported by Engadget, the function kicks in when the device is used in landscape mode, or what Microsoft calls “Compose Mode”. The second screen will display the gamepad while the first screen will display the cloud game that you’re playing, giving the Surface Duo a Nintendo DS-like look.
Xbox introduced cloud gaming for mobile devices for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in late 2020, with the library including over 150 titles. At the time, it wrote that with “an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, gamers need only an Android phone or tablet and a supported controller to join in on the fun of Xbox gaming while enjoying the full benefits of the Xbox ecosystem.” Prior to bringing cloud gaming to its subscription service, it hosted a public preview for the feature dubbed Project xCloud.
In April 2021, Xbox announced that it was adding over 50 titles that supported Xbox Touch Controls, including Minecraft Dungeons, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Slay The Spire, and Gears 5.
Aside from using Xbox Touch Controls, the cloud games can also be played with Xbox One Bluetooth Wireless and PlayStation DualShock 4 controllers, among several others.
