Though they’re not natively available on Valve’s mobile console, the Steam Deck, a choice selection of first-party Xbox titles, including Halo Infinite, are now playable thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming.
We worked closely with our friends at Valve to support #Xcloud #XboxGamePass through Microsoft Edge for the Steam Deck. https://t.co/NIuHCJtXMR pic.twitter.com/Jr4JPQSbFC
— Catherine Gluckstein (@CJGluckstein) March 18, 2022
In a post on Twitter, Catherine Gluckstein, the head of product and strategy for Xbox Cloud Gaming, shared a picture of Halo Infinite running on a Steam Deck, purportedly through the service. According to the post, Microsoft and Valve have even been working together to ensure that the streaming service, which is part of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription, would work on Steam Deck.
Users can even start streaming Halo Infinite to their Steam Deck today thanks to a new Microsoft Edge Beta. Detailed in a post on Reddit from Microsoft Edge community manager Missy Quarry, users will have to download Microsoft Edge onto their console, add its Beta version to Steam, and enter some console commands. It’s a bit of a lengthy process, but by the end of it, Xbox Cloud Gaming will be playable on the Steam Deck.
It’s not clear if Microsoft and Valve are working out a more streamlined way for users to add Microsoft’s cloud gaming service to their mobile console. Currently, it’s the only alternative to using a phone that Xbox Game Pass subscribers have for accessing their games. Though a number of Xbox games already run natively on the Steam Deck, many do not. The list includes Halo Infinite, Gears of War 5, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. However, Xbox Cloud Gaming should also give Steam Deck users access to a number of other titles on the go.