Xbox Game Pass coming to Amazon Fire TV Sticks, with no need for a console

Microsoft really is running out of reasons for people to buy one of its Xbox consoles. While it still has some platform exclusives to call its own, like the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day, you’ll soon be able to access the entire Xbox Game Pass library without the actual console by using an Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Announced today in an Xbox Wire post, Microsoft doesn’t provide an exact date for when it’ll happen, but the Xbox app will soon become compatible with select Fire TV devices. Using a Fire TV Stick 4K or a Fire TV Stick 4K Max (which cost $49.99 and $59.99 respectively), you can then play Xbox titles via cloud gaming. The only other thing you need is a Bluetooth wireless controller, and it doesn’t even need to be an Xbox one. You could play with a PS5 controller if that’s all you have.

Assuming you have a Fire TV already, this is altogether more affordable than buying an Xbox console. Even if we use the cheaper Xbox Series S, which is $299.99, for our comparison, the console plus a year’s Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which is $16.99 a month, comes to nearly $504. The year’s subscription plus the $49.99 Five TV Stick 4K is just under $254, making it cheaper than the console on its own.

The one caveat is that since you’d be playing games via the cloud, your experience is reliant on your internet connection. If it’s not particularly stable or drops for whatever reason, there’s no offline option you can fall back on. Plus, like I said, you need to have the right TV for it, which could set you back an additional $240 according to Amazon’s website. Even so, for those already with a compatible TV and Fire TV Stick, this sounds like a very enticing offer considering how many games are available on Game Pass.

Microsoft has always expressed a desire to make its games more widely available. It’s why it’s grown willing to put its own IPs, like Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush, on rival platforms, especially when the PS5 and Switch are outselling the Xbox. There are even rumors of Halo, one of Microsoft’s premiere franchises, coming to PlayStation, but nothing official has been said on the matter. Microsoft has also indicated it’s not completely giving up on hardware, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer himself appearing to tease the existence of an Xbox handheld.

This move has most likely been influenced by Microsoft’s efforts to get more people subscribed to Game Pass. It’s clearly reached as many people as it can through the Xbox console, and growing subscription numbers is a priority for the company.