A major change to the way we play games just happened, but you may not have noticed it. The Xbox app launched on recently released Samsung smart TVs. This may not sound like a big deal at first as these TVs have apps from lots of major entertainment companies. However, when you find out what this app allows you to do, your mind will be blown.
If you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, you get access to xCloud. This is a service that allows you to play Xbox games on the cloud, rather than on a console. The idea is that all the computer power happens online, and all you need to play the game at home is a screen. That could be a mobile phone screen, a tablet screen or – you guessed it – a TV screen.
Until now, however, there was no way to play it on TV. That has changed with the arrival of this new Xbox app. Now you can turn on the app, login to your Game Pass Ultimate account, and start playing Xbox Series X games without owning an Xbox console. You can connect a controller and a headset via Bluetooth, too.
Now obviously, you’re going to need good internet speeds for it to work well. But this heralds a brand-new era for gaming. One where you can play next-generation console games without actually paying for, and owning, a next-generation console. What an amazing thought.
Xbox has also confirmed it is talking to other TV manufacturers about getting the app, too. So, it could become available on LG, Hisense, TCL and even Sony. The Xbox app is definitely a big deal for gamers and if you have a Samsung TV, you should try it out. We will look to do a review of it in action next issue.
