Right, so you’ve got yourself steeled to play something like the new ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6‘ on your phone or maybe even your PC or television. You’ve signed up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you have the apps or you’re using your browser. And you head over to the game of your choosing and hit “Play” and then you get this dreaded error message:
Well that sucks, but the thing is most games on Xbox Cloud Gaming require a controller to be played. The good news is that you’ve likely already have everything you need to get your device paired with a controller so you can get your gaming on. A large number of controllers are supported, including Xbox, 8BitDo, PlayStation DualShock and DualSense controllers, and so much more. Instructions will vary per device, so I’ll try to make a consolidated list below that should work for every operating system. Unless you’re running Gentoo or something. Both devices will need to support Bluetooth (unless you plug in the controller directly).
Three things to note for Android and iOS devices: controller support was added to the operating systems at different points in their lives. Android received support for more controllers (particularly Xbox controllers) at around Android 8 and iOS got support around iOS 14.5. Knowing this is important because you’ll otherwise run around like a headless chicken trying to find out why the dumb thing won’t connect.
The second is that you should check to see if your controller has a pending firmware update. This will vary per device manufacturer and if you have a third-party controller (not Xbox or PlayStation) you’ll not have to worry about this but it’s still worth checking. Xbox controller can be updated via your console in Settings > Devices & Connections > Controllers & headsets and following the instructions. More options can be found this way for that. DualShock controllers don’t need updates, but DualSense controllers likely will—follow these instructions for that.
Lastly, on Windows and Android devices, plugging in your controller directly to the device should work just fine! But it might not be ideal, so I get that. The instructions below will help you set up your controller to work with Cloud via Bluetooth:
- First off, find the sync button on your controller! This can vary wildly, but usually it’s a small button on the top or back of the device. Xbox controllers have the sync button on the top while DualShock and DualSense controller will need players to push the PlayStation button and the Share button at the same time!
- Find the Bluetooth menu on your device. On Windows, press the search button at the bottom and type “Bluetooth”. Android and iOS devices should have this menu option on the first page of their settings app.
- Once the menu is open, follow the instructions for your device to begin scanning for Bluetooth devices.
- Immediately begin pressing and holding down the sync button on your controller.
- Once your controller appears on the Bluetooth menu, press on it and click pair. Keep in mind that, if you’re in a busy area, it might take a few tries to grab the right device.
- Once the connection is established, you’re done!
Now you can go and play games like Black Ops 6 via Cloud Gaming with your controller. It’s as easy as that. But! If you disconnect the controller, you will likely need to repair it with the instructions above as your phone or PC might not be able to pick up the controller again. Especially if you’ve repaired the controller with another device recently.
And that’s that. Enjoy!
