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Microsoft announced a redesigned Xbox Cloud Gaming web experience as a public preview on January 26, 2026. It gives xbox.com/play a more Xbox-like way to browse and launch games, but it is not confirmed to be a full copy of the console dashboard. You can opt in through the site’s Preview Features setting if the preview is available to your account.
What Microsoft is changing
The existing Xbox Cloud Gaming website is primarily a place to find and launch games. Microsoft’s preview refreshes that web experience with updated navigation, a different look and feel, and a new product flow intended to support future web experiences. Microsoft cautions that preview functions may be missing, behave differently, or change during testing. Microsoft’s announcement does not give a final rollout date or a complete feature list.
Secondary coverage describes a more console-like landing page with areas such as Home, My Games, and Search. Treat those as reported preview details, not a promise that the final interface will retain the same labels or layout. Pure Xbox and Windows Central have reported on the observed design.
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“Xbox dashboard on the web” is therefore best understood as a dashboard-like launcher for cloud gaming. Microsoft has not announced that console features such as system settings, captures, messages, or full party management are coming to the browser. It is also separate from the Xbox app for Windows and does not turn browser streaming into local game installation.
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How to try the preview
- Open xbox.com/play in a browser and sign in with your Xbox account.
- Open Settings. In the interface reported by Pure Xbox, this is reached from the profile icon at the top right.
- Turn on Preview Features. The precise menu presentation may vary as Microsoft updates the preview.
- Reload the page if needed. If the preview has reached your account and browser, the redesigned cloud-gaming home experience should appear.
Microsoft calls this a public preview, but that does not guarantee that every account, region, or browser will see the toggle. If it is missing, check that you are on xbox.com/play, sign out and back in, and try Edge, Chrome, or Safari. A private window or clearing Xbox.com site data can help rule out stale browser state; temporarily disabling an aggressive content blocker is another troubleshooting check. These are general checks, not Microsoft-certified fixes. Availability may still be staged or temporarily limited.
What the redesign changes—and what it does not
- It changes navigation and browsing: the aim is a refreshed, more dashboard-like way to find cloud games.
- It does not establish better streaming performance: the announcement makes no claim of lower latency, higher resolution or frame rate, or improved queue times as a result of the redesign.
- It does not expand game rights by itself: a game’s appearance in a library does not guarantee it can be streamed. Availability depends on the title, plan, region, platform, and current catalog.
- It does not remove subscription requirements: the interface preview is not a new Game Pass tier, and it does not make every owned game cloud-playable.
- It does not guarantee console-dashboard parity: Microsoft has not confirmed that console social, settings, or hardware features are included.
Cloud games still run remotely and stream to your device. The redesign concerns the browser experience for finding and launching them, not a confirmed change to the underlying cloud service.
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What you need to play in a browser
Xbox lists Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Safari for cloud play at xbox.com. Its cloud gaming page lists a minimum download speed of 10 Mbps; some devices may require 20 Mbps for best quality, and Xbox recommends 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Meeting a download-speed threshold is not a guarantee of smooth play: latency, packet loss, Wi-Fi congestion, distance from a data center, and device performance can also matter.
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- Controller: most games require a compatible controller connected by Bluetooth or USB. Selected titles support touch controls. Xbox’s getting-started guide names Xbox controllers and verified third-party families including 8BitDo, GameSir, Backbone, and DualSense.
- Device: Xbox lists PCs, phones and tablets, consoles, selected LG, Samsung, and VIDAA OS televisions, Amazon Fire TV, and selected Meta Quest headsets, among other supported devices. Support varies by region and platform.
Browser, app, TV, console, and headset versions do not necessarily expose identical features. On a phone, try the supported browser route if an app does not offer the same cloud experience; do not assume the preview toggle is available in every client.
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Which Game Pass plan supports cloud gaming?
Xbox’s current US cloud gaming page lists Essential, Premium, and Ultimate as cloud-enabled plans. Supported free-to-play games such as Fortnite are a separate case and can be streamed with a free Microsoft account in supported regions. Some cloud-playable games outside the subscription catalog must be purchased separately. Check the game listing for your region and plan before subscribing: game availability changes and is not guaranteed by dashboard access.
| Plan | US price signal | Cloud-gaming position |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $9.99 for one month on the displayed offer; the purchase page also showed $24.99 for one three-month option. | Unlimited cloud gaming; the lower-cost paid option, with longer waits than higher tiers according to Xbox’s plan descriptions. |
| Premium | $14.99/month after a displayed $1 introductory offer for 14 days. | Unlimited cloud gaming, with shorter wait times than Essential according to Xbox. |
| Ultimate | $22.99/month on the US purchase page. | Unlimited cloud gaming at Microsoft’s described best quality and shortest wait times. |
These are US price signals displayed on Xbox pages checked August 16, 2026, not universal prices or guaranteed offers. Promotions, billing options, and regional pricing vary. The April 21, 2026 Xbox price update set the US Ultimate price at $22.99 per month. See the Essential purchase page and Ultimate purchase page for current terms.
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Choosing a tier
- Essential makes sense if low monthly cost matters most and you are comfortable with the wait-time trade-off Xbox describes.
- Premium is a middle tier for players who want shorter waits than Essential without paying for Ultimate’s broader bundle.
- Ultimate is aimed at frequent cloud players who value the shortest waits, Microsoft’s highest stated quality tier, and its additional bundled benefits.
Ultimate is not required just to use the redesigned dashboard: the service page lists all three plans for cloud gaming. Nor is a new controller inherently required if you already have a compatible one.
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The Preview Features toggle is missing
Confirm you are signed in at xbox.com/play and try a listed browser. Refresh the session, test another supported device, or check again later. A missing toggle alone does not show that your account is permanently excluded; staged availability, region, account, browser state, or a temporary service change may be involved.
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The new layout appears, but a game will not launch
Check whether the title supports cloud streaming, whether it is included in your plan or requires a purchase, and whether it is available in your region and on your device. A listed game may be download-only, plan-restricted, temporarily unavailable, or offered for purchase without cloud play.
The controller or touch controls are unavailable
Reconnect a compatible controller by USB or Bluetooth and check that the game supports it. Touch controls are available only in selected games, so their absence does not necessarily indicate a browser problem.
The stream stutters or feels delayed
Test the connection and device, move to a less congested 5 GHz Wi-Fi network if available, and check for packet loss or other network use. A dashboard redesign cannot correct network latency or weak device performance.
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The browser and another Xbox client behave differently
Test the web route in Edge, Chrome, or Safari. Xbox Cloud Gaming implementations differ across browsers, native apps, televisions, consoles, and headsets, so a feature or game available in one client is not proof it is available in another.
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