During Microsoft’s “What’s Next for Gaming” virtual briefing this week, the tech giant revealed its plan to bring the Xbox app to Samsung Smart TVs.
Starting June 30, players can access the Xbox app through the Games Hub on a 2022 Samsung TV, pair a Bluetooth controller and be able to play over one hundred cloud-enabled games in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library — including titles from Xbox Game Studios — without needing a console.
Noting that streaming is starting to be a common thread through all offerings at Xbox, Microsoft Gaming’s chief marketing officer Jerret West said in a statement, “This is a scenario where with a premium partner, a 2022 Samsung Smart TV and going forward, you’ll be able to launch and have a streamed gaming experience via an Xbox app on the TV directly there.”
This new feature comes as part of the vision that Xbox shared in a Wire post last June to work with global TV manufacturers to embed the Xbox app directly into internet-connected televisions with no extra hardware required except a controller.
At the launch date, cloud gaming will be available on Samsung TVs in 27 countries.
“We’re building a platform that can reach billions of players — whether it’s on console, whether it’s on PC, whether it’s through Xbox cloud streaming— where players on any device they want to play on should be able to find the content they want to play,” said Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, in a statement. “Whether it’s on a web browser, whether it’s in an app or whether it’s on a device that’s dedicated to playing games. That’s just fundamental to where Xbox is going: find as many players as we can, cultivate a community of amazing creators.”
