Microsoft really should improve their Remote Play functionality

[Darknight]

I feel like there's a lot of areas where Microsoft has a lot of nice quality of life features compared to Sony but the one spot that I feel Sony has a more robust solution is when it comes to Remote Play. Here are some of the issues I've noticed:

- I can only remote play to my iPad or my phone. I can't remote play to my PC or another Xbox system
- I can't browse the store while going through remote play
- You can't use the touch screen as an interface that works as controller input
- You can't use the Xbox button as input which then requires you to use the touch screen to use that button (Edit: Looks like you can now after an update)

There is one aspect that I do like over the competition which is that the system can turn on silently and the Xbox logo doesn't light up even though you're remote in and when you close the app the system automatically goes to sleep. So the turn on and turn off functionality is better in my opinion. But other than that, I feel like there are a lot of ways Microsoft could be improving the experience but so far hasn't since their implementation of this feature from the Xbox One.

Anyone else agree?

 

[Nostremitus]

Why can't I connect to my own Console for Xcloud?

 

[Deleted member 9330]

The not showing the store thing is an Apple rule btw. You can't browse the store using Steam's Remote Play app either

 

[ss_lemonade]

Didn't local remote play get downgraded too? We used to be able to stream everything but the last time I tried it with the new remote play app, they disabled BC games.

 

[Darknight]

The not showing the store thing is an Apple rule btw. You can't browse the store using Steam's Remote Play app either

Click to shrink...

I can browse the PS Store. How come that is allowed?

 

[Deleted member 9330]

I can browse the PS Store. How come that is allowed?

Click to shrink...

I dunno, I've never tried PS remote play. Will it let you actually buy stuff?

 

[elLOaSTy]

- I can only remote play to my iPad or my phone. I can't remote play to my PC or another Xbox system
You can, it's just not on Series X/S yet. It works on Xbox One/One X. I'm sure it will come

- I can't browse the store while going through remote play
That's dumb and should be fixed 100% Apparently it's mobile device rules for the app not remote play which is also why their new app blows? You used to be able to redeem codes and browse the store. It's a downgrade hopefully they can get some of that back.

- You can't use the touch screen as an interface that works as controller input
- You can't use the Xbox button as input which then requires you to use the touch screen to use that button

These two are indifferent to me. I think getting Console to console remote play for Series to One consoles, Remote play on Mac/PC for Series consoles and Remote play via XCloud or personal hardware are bigger gets for the future. My guess is the X button is a hardware issue. Onecast lets you use touch controls, but they kinda blow anyway.

Ive been using a backbone on my phone and it's amazin. I just wish I could remote my Series X to my PC or my Xbox One. On my ethernet local network I should have pretty high quality and no bad lag so it would be a huge boon to me, right now I have to keep moving my console around the house.

 

[bsigg]

I can browse the PS Store. How come that is allowed?

Click to shrink...

For PS, it's separate apps. Xbox incorporating local streaming into the main Xbox app removed the store, which I believe is due to app store policies, and when you're streaming you can't actually access the store since it appears to violate Google/Apple's local streaming policy since it would circumvent the 30% app store cut.

Why can't I connect to my own Console for Xcloud?

Click to shrink...

What do you mean? Are you asking why can't you access xCloud from a console?

 

[RoadDogg]

- You can't use the Xbox button as input which then requires you to use the touch screen to use that button

Click to shrink...

This one was actually fixed a few weeks ago. Not sure what updated, but the Xbox button on my XBO controller now works on the iPad app so I never have to touch the screen. The streaming quality is still garbage despite being on the same LAN with a gigabit backbone so I can't actually play much in it, but it works great for doing the daily quest stuff.

 

[Syriel]

- I can only remote play to my iPad or my phone. I can't remote play to my PC or another Xbox system
- I can't browse the store while going through remote play

Click to shrink...

Can do both remote to PC and browsing the store when remoting to PC on Xbox One X/S/base. Just not on Series X/S.

- You can't use the Xbox button as input which then requires you to use the touch screen to use that button

Click to shrink...

This might be a device thing as this works on Android. During the beta the Xbox button would send you home, but after launch it started to work. At least I'm pretty sure it does. Maybe I'm confusing remote play with xCloud play.

 

[Darknight]

I dunno, I've never tried PS remote play. Will it let you actually buy stuff?

Click to shrink...

Yep.

- I can only remote play to my iPad or my phone. I can't remote play to my PC or another Xbox system
You can, it's just not on Series X/S yet. It works on Xbox One/One X. I'm sure it will come

Click to shrink...

Ah, didn't realize this was a limitation of Series X/S for the PC. Still even if it's coming to the PC eventually, I'm not sure that guarantees it's coming to the Xbox One/One X which I would like to have too.

- You can't use the touch screen as an interface that works as controller input
- You can't use the Xbox button as input which then requires you to use the touch screen to use that button

These two are indifferent to me. I think getting Console to console remote play for Series to One consoles, Remote play on Mac/PC for Series consoles and Remote play via XCloud or personal hardware are bigger gets for the future. My guess is the X button is a hardware issue. Onecast lets you use touch controls, but they kinda blow anyway.

Click to shrink...

For the touch screen controls, I find it useful if I have my iPad near me and I want to do a quick action like start a patch update on a game but don't have my controller nearby since both aren't always next to each other. This just helps me prep a game to be played later. There's other examples like that too where I just want to do some quick action on the console without the need of having to go grab the controller.

As for the Xbox button, I wonder why Sony can read in the PS button, but for some reason the Xbox button can't. I know it can be read over bluetooth on a PC, so it certainly registers it as something. I want the Xbox button so I can access the home menu if I want to switch games and it makes it slightly irritating when I can't do it from the controller.

For PS, it's separate apps. Xbox incorporating local streaming into the main Xbox app removed the store and when you're streaming you can't actually access the store since it appears to violate Google/Apple's local streaming policy since it would circumvent the 30% app store cut.

Click to shrink...

I'm not quite sure I get how separating it out allows Sony to still let you access the PS Store from Remote Play when you're saying streaming shouldn't allow you to access it.

This one was actually fixed a few weeks ago. Not sure what updated, but the Xbox button on my XBO controller now works on the iPad app so I never have to touch the screen. The streaming quality is still garbage despite being on the same LAN with a gigabit backbone so I can't actually play much in it, but it works great for doing the daily quest stuff.

Click to shrink...

Oh, this does work now after I updated the app. I just edited my OP to remove it. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[HorseFD]

I fully agree with this.

I can't even use the built in remote control in the Xbox app without disconnecting from remote play first.

They really should make the Xbox UI navigable with touch controls for Remote Play.

I have a feeling we might see desktop remote play when they've released their browser-based Xcloud sytem for iOS.

 

[bsigg]

I'm not quite sure I get how separating it out allows Sony to still let you access the PS Store from Remote Play when you're saying streaming shouldn't allow you to access it.

Click to shrink...

Because you can't add content via purchases in the streaming app, only access what you already own. This is how Steam streaming to iOS works as well. You have to do that in a completely different app or from a different source. The PS App is focused on your Playstation account and like other services (Amazon for example) you can purchase things that will be used elsewhere since it's not directly competing with Apple.

However, being able to buy and stream in the same app is against app store policies for gaming because it's a direct competitor to Apple's own gaming focus on their devices.

Sony just circumvents the app store restrictions by breaking it into 2 apps, something MS could do but I think MS is fine with having you complete a purchase on the webstore/console itself to avoid the 30% cut for Google/Apple.

PSNow doesn't exist on iOS either because of the same restrictions facing Game Pass Game Streaming, Apple is forcing MS/Sony to make each of those games to be made available individually on the App Store, which isn't going to happen.

 

[Darknight]

Because you can't add content via purchases in the streaming app, only access what you already own. This is how Steam streaming to iOS works as well. You have to do that in a completely different app or from a different source. The PS App is focused on your Playstation account and like other services (Amazon for example) you can purchase things that will be used elsewhere since it's not directly competing with Apple.

However, being able to buy and stream in the same app is against app store policies for gaming because it's a direct competitor to Apple's own gaming focus on their devices.

Sony just circumvents the app store restrictions by breaking it into 2 apps, something MS could do but I think MS is fine with having you complete a purchase on the webstore/console itself to avoid the 30% cut for Google/Apple.

PSNow doesn't exist on iOS either because of the same restrictions facing Game Pass Game Streaming, Apple is forcing MS/Sony to make each of those games to be made available individually on the App Store, which isn't going to happen.

Click to shrink...

No, what you don't seem to get is I can buy while streaming using the PS Remote Play app. What you're saying is a streaming app can't allow purchases but the Sony streaming app does.

 

[ghostcrew]

- I can only remote play to my iPad or my phone. I can't remote play to my PC

Click to shrink...

Sure you can. I've done it tons. It's within the Xbox Console Companion app or whatever it's called.

 

[MJForum Poster]

No, what you don't seem to get is I can buy while streaming using the PS Remote Play app. What you're saying is a streaming app can't allow purchases but the Sony streaming app does.

Click to shrink...

Yeah but I think Microsoft did it that way to (proactively) avoid Apple one day waking up and yanking it off the App Store for violating its policies. The enforcement is arbitrary, it seems. Microsoft may also be trying to be more cautious since they also plan on getting XCloud streaming working on iOS as well.

 

[bsigg]

No, what you don't seem to get is I can buy while streaming using the PS Remote Play app. What you're saying is a streaming app can't allow purchases but the Sony streaming app does.

Click to shrink...

That's my bad. I hadn't ever actually used the store with PS Remote Play, only ever played games.

Curious how Sony gets around the store issue.

Sure you can. I've done it tons. It's within the Xbox Console Companion app or whatever it's called.

Click to shrink...

This doesn't work with the Series X|S.

 

[Greent4]

This doesn't work with the Series X|S.

Click to shrink...

Actually you can remote play to ur pc with Series X (xbox game streaming test app apk.)
Ive done it at least 3 times. its a headache to get working properly though it seems.
Console companion app is a little buggy

 

[RowdyReverb]

Agreed on all points, OP. I also find that I encounter more artifacts with my Xbox than my PS5 despite using the same network and iOS device. Works ok on Windows though.
I definitely wish Sony would imitate the silent Remote activation of the Xbox

 

[elLOaSTy]

This one was actually fixed a few weeks ago. Not sure what updated, but the Xbox button on my XBO controller now works on the iPad app so I never have to touch the screen. The streaming quality is still garbage despite being on the same LAN with a gigabit backbone so I can't actually play much in it, but it works great for doing the daily quest stuff.

Click to shrink...

Interesting, you may want to look into your network, are you in an apt where you would have a lot of interference from others? Mine works almost flawlessly except when Im in one room but I dont yet have a wireless extender down there.

 

[RoadDogg]

Interesting, you may want to look into your network, are you in an apt where you would have a lot of interference from others? Mine works almost flawlessly except when Im in one room but I dont yet have a wireless extender down there.

Click to shrink...

Nope, detached house with zero interference. Everything else works fine, it's only a problem with Xbox streaming.

 

[elLOaSTy]

Nope, detached house with zero interference. Everything else works fine, it's only a problem with Xbox streaming.

Click to shrink...

Must be one of those things then they just need to get it to work consistently. Our house has ethernet wired everywhere and we have 2 extra ethernet wireless nodes so Im always at optimal connection, I assumed thats why mine worked so well.

 

[Darknight]

Sure you can. I've done it tons. It's within the Xbox Console Companion app or whatever it's called.

Click to shrink...

Apparently, it doesn't work for the Series S/X at the moment which is what I was basing this on. Even ignoring the PC, I really want to be able to Remote Play from another Xbox console much more than I do a PC.

Yeah but I think Microsoft did it that way to (proactively) avoid Apple one day waking up and yanking it off the App Store for violating its policies. The enforcement is arbitrary, it seems. Microsoft may also be trying to be more cautious since they also plan on getting XCloud streaming working on iOS as well.

Click to shrink...

Ah, this makes more sense to say it isn't allowed but Sony hasn't been caught yet which is why it works.

That's my bad. I hadn't ever actually used the store with PS Remote Play, only ever played games.

Curious how Sony gets around the store issue.

Click to shrink...

Ya, no worries. I was just confused how you were describing it wasn't allowed and I kept wondering if I was just misunderstanding what you were saying. It sounds like they just haven't been noticed yet even though it shouldn't be allowed.

Agreed on all points, OP. I also find that I encounter more artifacts with my Xbox than my PS5 despite using the same network and iOS device. Works ok on Windows though.
I definitely wish Sony would imitate the silent Remote activation of the Xbox

Click to shrink...

Oh ya, I have noticed that it seems to artifact more. I wasn't sure it was doing that since I didn't do a direct comparison but it did feel like it was more frequent.