If you've just bought one of the best Samsung TVs but haven't got an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, Microsoft has good news for you: you don't need either console to enjoy Xbox gaming on your TV. That's because the new Xbox TV gaming app is coming to Samsung sets later this month, and early reviews say it's really, really good even in titles such as Halo and Forza.
The app will come to Samsung's 2022 TVs and monitors later this month; it'll appear in the Samsung gaming hub on 30th June in 27 different countries. All you need to do is install it and sign in with your Microsoft account – so if you have or take out an Xbox Game Pass subscription you'll be able to play tons of Xbox Series X and S games as well as Xbox classics without any additional hardware other than a controller. And the app supports all kinds of controllers including Xbox, DualSense and many more.
This is a really big deal. I've written before that Game Pass is the Netflix of gaming; on these smart TVs that comparison is more accurate than ever.
How the Xbox TV app works
The app connects to Microsoft's gaming servers, which run the game and stream it to your TV. I've played quite a bit of Xbox cloud gaming and it's pretty good; you don't get the full 4K experience that you'd get from a full install, but you still get a perfectly respectable 1080p at 60fps. With a decent internet connection and a decently quick Wi-Fi router you shouldn't encounter any serious streaming problems: the Xbox app is no more demanding than any of your other streaming apps.
If you're wondering when the app will come to other TVs, so am I – and given that in the UK Sony has been very slow to deliver essential catch-up TV services, I don't imagine Sony will be the next out of the gate with a native Xbox app. The rollout to other TVs will depend very much on Microsoft's partnerships, although I can't imagine it's going to be a particularly hard sell: by turning TVs into seriously impressive gaming systems, the app will ultimately help sell a whole bunch of TVs – and no doubt a bunch of Xboxes too as people get hooked on Game Pass but want higher quality visuals.
I won't be trading in my current Samsung TV and putting my Series X on eBay any time soon, because I'd rather play in 4K. But if you're not already an Xbox owner, this looks like a must-have app if your TV supports it.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
This is the exact date you should turn your heating on, reveals energy expert
Heat your house while keeping your bills down with these heating tips
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Amazfit T-Rex 3 review: The affordable adventurer’s answer to Garmin
Adventure-ready and budget-friendly with just a few software setbacks
By Matt Buckley Published
-
Android phones getting something iPhone owners outside Europe can only dream of
Court ruling ramifications becoming clear
By Rik Henderson Published
-
You could win an Xbox Series X in gold, but Microsoft will make you work for it
The exclusive Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Xbox could be yours
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Samsung's Odyssey G9 OLED gaming monitors have hit rock bottom prices for Prime Day
49-inch, 240Hz and a 1000R curved display will make your games look incredible
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Samsung phone owners will have to wait longer for Android 15 – until the Samsung Galaxy S25, in fact
It looks like it will be worth the wait though
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra dummy unit proves it's what's inside that really counts
It looks like the Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t going to change all that much – or is it?
By Chris Hall Published
-
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is superthin, OLED and comes with a surprise keyboard addition
Samsung's first Chromebook Plus is built to shine
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Your Xbox gets a neat new trick that could save a lot of time
Updates will finally be a bit easier
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE pre-orders start early, before it's even launched
Samsung accidentally reveals its next affordable flagship phone itself
By Chris Hall Published