(Pocket-lint) - Microsoft s Surface Duo folding phone tablet hybrid has occupied a curious place in the market ever since its release, and it isn t getting any less niche of a proposition with time. With a unique design and two screens, it s a potentially hugely useful bit of kit.
It s also, though, slightly long in the tooth when it comes to specs, having been first detailed long before its release but never upgraded internally in the intervening time. Still, Microsoft clearly isn t giving up on its interesting little device.
Panos Panay has taken to Twitter to announce an update for the phone which brings a new level of integration with Microsoft s big gaming thrust - Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The membership brings with it the ability to stream Xbox games on your phone.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Surface Duo, the folding two-screened Android device from Microsoft, can now do a pretty darn good Nintendo DS impression.
Microsoft first released Surface Duo last year after
announcing it back in 2019. One of the first things it teased in its announcement trailer was the possibility of playing games with the top screen folded toward you to show the game and the bottom screen angled to display just the touch controls. It looked like a DS or 3DS, just without the physical controls on the lower half. Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay revealed on his Twitter account that a new update for the device now lets it play Xbox Game Pass Ultimate streaming games just like in the video.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
There’s a new update for Microsoft Surface Duo that turns the device into a handheld gaming console of sorts: now some Xbox Cloud Gaming titles can be played with the second screen covered in touch controls mapped to the Xbox controller buttons.
The update went live this morning, empowering Surface Duo owners to play a selection of 50 games over Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly xCloud), but you’ll need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play them, according to a
tweet from Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay:
A very cool update goes live for #SurfaceDuo customers today! Working with @Xbox we ve put touch controls on to the second screen. More than 50 games are available to play with touch for @xboxGamePass Ultimate Members. pic.twitter.com/ZPIqQZXxS4May 24, 2021