With simplistic side-scrolling platformers like Infernax, the input delay I experienced felt relatively minor and manageable. What about the dreaded input latency that typically comes with game streaming? In this respect, I was far less impressed with Xbox Cloud Streaming on Steam Deck. Obviously, there are some noticeable downgrades when directly compared to native gameplay from the Xbox Series X|S, but as a convenient standalone experience, you likely won’t notice a huge difference. Resolution and fidelity, especially on the Steam Deck’s 7-inch display, are consistently impressive, and I rarely noticed any extreme artifacting.

Now it’s time for the two most important questions - first, how do games look and feel with Xbox Cloud Gaming on Steam Deck? Titles like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon absolutely shine from a visual standpoint. How does Xbox Cloud Gaming on Steam Deck perform? However, if you were hoping for a quick and easy install, be prepared to put in a little leg work to get this running. If you have a USB-C hub and are willing to connect a mouse, keyboard, and USB drive to your Steam Deck, the setup isn’t overly complicated and should take less than 30 minutes. For folks interested in trying this beta for themselves, here’s a link to the official setup instructions. I won’t be diving into the step-by-step process for getting Xbox Cloud Gaming running on the Steam Deck. Unfortunately, there are some serious steps you’ll need to take to get this makeshift app functioning properly. This client allows simple access to the browser version of Xbox Cloud Gaming directly from your Steam Deck library. Recently, Microsoft partnered with Valve to bring a beta version of Microsoft Edge and ultimately Xbox Cloud Gaming to the Steam Deck.

Given the portable nature of this device, that wasn’t the most convenient scenario. Unfortunately, the integrated gamepad for the handheld device wasn’t recognized, and this meant you’d have to connect an external controller or mouse and keyboard to play Xbox Game Pass games in the browser. During the Steam Deck review period, Xbox Cloud Gaming technically functioned through the Chrome browser in desktop mode. Before I dive into my overall impressions of Xbox Cloud Gaming on Steam Deck, the fairly involved setup process is worth mentioning.

Game pass on steam deck