More Xbox Game Pass Games Adding Touch Controls

More games are headed to Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft has revealed that a bevy of new titles are headed to the subscription service platform in a blog update. Xbox Game Pass is truly an amazing value, and part of that has to do with the features of the service, not just the games themselves. In the update, Microsft revealed that even more Xbox Game Pass games will be receiving touch controls.

A few weeks ago multiple games were given touch controls within Xbox Game Pass, including the likes of The Walking Dead and What Remains of Edith Finch. Thirteen games in total received the feature. And now, even more mobile Xbox Game Pass titles are receiving this special touch.

To play Xbox Game Pass titles on Android players must be subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. With that, players can then download the app and enjoy cloud gaming via streaming on the go. Using a controller will allow any of the games to be playable, but more and more touch games are being added as well. Seven more touch control games will be available beginning on February 18, 2021. That full list is as follows:

What is good for players is simply having options. The Xbox Series X/S controller is very popular, and being able to try a legendary run of a mission in Halo via The Master Chief Collection is great via cloud gaming, for example. But it is also very nice to have the option for more relaxed pop-in and pop-out fun with touch controls while on the go with a game like The Little Acre.

The newest touch control games include some high-profile titles, including Spiritfarer, a beloved indie title, while Bridge Constructor Portal is a game that should work very well with touch controls, and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. The fact many games are playable via the cloud both with and without a controller, with and without touch controllers, should be very satisfying to gamers.

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass is the most successful attempt at a “Netflix for games” subscription model, offering over 100 games to download and play for the PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. For a small monthly fee, Game Pass can provide a ridiculous amount of value, variety, and entertainment. However, much like Netflix itself, the contracts for the games Microsoft does not own are subject to expiration.

For every couple games added to Xbox Game Pass, another is removed. As of February 2021, there are almost as many removed games as there are present games — which reflects quite well on the breadth of the service, as it has been cycling through games for almost four years. Still, some all-time classics have dipped from the roster, and it’s not a bad idea to see what isn’t there anymore before signing up.

One of the defining games of the last decade of gaming, Grand Theft Auto 5 was added to Game Pass in January 2020, and removed May 2020. This 2013 game marked Rockstar Games' first numbered entry in the Grand Theft Auto series since Grand Theft Auto 4 in 2008. The genre-defining open-world title set players loose in the fictional state of San Andreas, able to play as three different characters who represented different types of GTA players. The game only came out on PS3 and Xbox 360 at first, but quickly spread to PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and is due to release on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S this year.