Microsoft is launching its Xbox TV app later this month, allowing 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 through Samsung’s 2022 smart TVs, streaming through the cloud powered by custom Xbox Series X hardware. Fortnite is even available to stream free of charge if you’re not a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.
The Xbox TV app will work very much like Netflix does on TVs and will be available from Samsung’s gaming hub on June 30th in 27 countries. You simply log into your Microsoft account in the app and stream Xbox games just like you would through Xbox Cloud Gaming in a browser.
Microsoft and Samsung will support a large number of controllers for the Xbox app, including the range of Xbox controllers, Sony’s DualSense, and many more. You simply connect a controller via Bluetooth, and you’re good to go. Unfortunately, Microsoft isn’t bumping up its streaming resolution to 4K, so games will be limited to 1080p streaming at 60fps.
Microsoft has partnered with Samsung here for the initial rollout of the Xbox app, but it’s not clear when the app will be available on other TVs or even older Samsung models. “We are bringing the Xbox App to Samsung Smart TVs first, and our intent is to explore other TV partnerships as part of this next evolution in our vision,” explains Ashley McKissick, corporate vice president of Xbox gaming experiences and platforms.
This latest Samsung partnership follows similar marketing deals for Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming on Android as well as other Android and Windows-related partnerships.
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Originally announced last year, the Xbox TV app is a big milestone for Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming and Game Pass ambitions. Microsoft has been gradually expanding the reach of Xbox Cloud Gaming, bringing the service to iOS devices through the browser and even to the web, Xbox One consoles, and PCs.
Microsoft also has plans for separate Xbox streaming devices that can plug into monitors or TVs and stream games very much like this Xbox TV app. The software maker revealed recently that it’s reworking its game streaming device, codenamed Keystone, so this puck-like hardware won’t be appearing anytime soon.
We got an early hands-on of the new Xbox TV app, and you can check out our first impressions right here.