Both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles are due to be released in late 2020. And both Sony and Microsoft are slowly releasing more information about the hardware, peripherals, and games we have to look forward to.

To that end, Microsoft has newly announced that the Xbox Series X controller is compatible with both Android and iOS.

Microsoft Tweets About the Xbox Series X Controller

Microsoft broke the latest news into two tweets on the Xbox Twitter account. The first tweet confirms that the Xbox Series X will support every Xbox One controller over all games. It's a question that lots of people had been wondering about the Xbox Series X.

The second tweet covers all of the platforms that the Xbox Series X controller will work with. The list includes Xbox One consoles, Windows PCs, and Android and iOS mobile devices.

This move is presumably a counterattack on Sony. This comes after The Official PlayStation Blog said that PS4 controllers can connect to a PS5, but will only work with "supported PS4 games."

Why Android and iOS Compatibility Is Important

You may wonder why it's good news that the Xbox Series X controller works with Android and iOS. After all, when was the last time you plugged in a controller to play Clash of Clans on your smartphone?

However, if you look at the new Xbox controller's compatibility list, you'll see that it works with "Project xCloud." Project xCloud is Microsoft's plan to let people play Xbox games in the cloud and stream it to any device, including mobiles.

Of course, it's hard to play a next-gen game using only a touchscreen. To solve this, you can connect a compatible controller to your phone and use that to play games. As such, the new Xbox Series X controller will support mobile devices so that people can take Project xCloud wherever they go.

This is also good news for those who already enjoy cloud gaming. Gamers are using cloud gaming services such as GeForce Now and Shadow to stream to their mobile devices. As such, a next-gen controller will be a welcome addition to their arsenal.

Gaming on the Go

While Android and iOS compatibility isn't the most exciting news about the next-gen consoles, it's definitely good news for cloud gamers old and new. After Sony's recent announcement about the PlayStation 5 controller caused disappointment amongst fans, Microsoft is keen to capitalize on its weakness in this area.

If you can't wait until the Xbox Series X releases, check out how to connect a controller to an Android device.