Microsoft will launch its Xbox TV app later this month, which will allow owners of Samsung’s 2022 smart TVs and monitors to play Xbox games without a game console. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to access more than 100 games via Samsung’s 2022 smart TVs, streaming through the cloud with custom Xbox Series X hardware. Fortnite is even available to play for free if you are not a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.
The Xbox TV app will work just as well as Netflix does on TVs and will be available at the Samsung Game Center on June 30 in 27 countries. Just sign in to your Microsoft account in the app and play Xbox games just as you would with Xbox Cloud Gaming in a browser.
The Xbox application runs on a Samsung TV. Image: Microsoft
Microsoft and Samsung will support a large number of drivers for the Xbox application, including the range of Xbox drivers, Sony’s DualSense, and more. Just connect a driver via Bluetooth and you’re ready to go. Unfortunately, Microsoft is not increasing its streaming resolution to 4K, so games will be limited to 1080p streaming at 60 fps.
Microsoft has partnered with Samsung here for the initial launch of the Xbox app, but it’s unclear when the app will be available on other TVs or even on older Samsung models. “We first bring the Xbox app to Samsung smart TVs, and our intention is to explore other TV partnerships as part of this upcoming evolution of our vision,” said Ashley McKissick, corporate vice president of Experiences and Platforms. Xbox Games
This latest Samsung partnership follows similar marketing agreements for Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming on Android, as well as other collaborations related to Android and Windows.
The user interface of the Xbox TV application is similar to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Image: Microsoft
Originally announced last year, the Xbox TV app is a big milestone for the ambitions of Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming and Game Pass. Microsoft has been gradually expanding the reach of Xbox Cloud Gaming, bringing the service to iOS devices through the browser and even the web, Xbox One consoles, and computers.
Microsoft also has plans for separate Xbox streaming devices that can be connected to monitors or TVs and play games very similar to this Xbox TV application. The software maker recently revealed that it is redesigning its gaming device, called Keystone, so that this disc-like hardware will not appear soon.
We’ve had some hands-on experience with the new Xbox TV app, and you can check out our first impressions right here.