Last week, Samsung broke the news that the Samsung Gaming Hub will add an Xbox app on June 30th. This will allow Xbox Game Pass members to play cloud-based Xbox games on the company’s new TVs, with over 100 titles available on the platform from the start. Suddenly, Samsung TVs are better – and certainly more fun – than ever before.
First announced in January at CES, the Samsung Gaming Hub is a feature found across much of the company’s 2022 lineup of TVs. The Gaming Hub serves as a single portal within the Tizen-powered smart TV interface to access cloud gaming services and connected game consoles, with Samsung also counting on Nvidia GEForce Now, Google Stadia and Utomik as partners.
Both gamers and potential set buyers may be wondering about the details of using Xbox Game Pass on Samsung TVs, so we are providing answers here to some basic questions.
1. Which Samsung TVs are compatible with Xbox Game Pass?
Xbox Game Pass can be used on new 2022 models with the Samsung Game Hub. The list includes the company’s Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K, QLED (BU8000 series and above) TVs and 2022 Smart Monitor computer displays. them with the resource.
2. How many Xbox Game Pass games will be available on the Samsung Gaming Hub Xbox app?
Samsung claimed that ‘over 100’ games can be streamed at launch. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members currently have access to over 350 titles for streaming on other compatible devices, so additional titles will likely be added to the Samsung Xbox app in the near future. Fortnite is also available to play without an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
3. How much does Xbox Game Pass Ultimate cost and what other devices can I use it with?
Game Pass Ultimate costs $15 per month and you get the first 3 months for $1 after your first sign-up. This deal gives non-gamers plenty of time to try it out on their new Samsung TV and see if it’s something they’ll use. Other Game Pass Ultimate compatible devices include Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, Windows PCs, Android phones and tablets, and iOS devices.
4. What game controllers can I use with the Xbox app on Samsung TVs?
Samsung claims its gaming hub supports ‘all the most popular game controllers’. Xbox provides more detailed information on its Game Pass Ultimate FAQ (opens in new tab), citing support for a wide range of Bluetooth controllers, including, of course, its own Xbox Wireless, Xbox Adaptive, Elite Series 2, and DualSense controllers. Along with Bluetooth gaming controllers, Bluetooth wireless gaming headsets are also supported by Samsung’s Gaming Hub.
5. What gaming-specific Samsung TV features can be accessed when the Xbox app is active?
According to Samsung, users can make quick adjustments from the Samsung Gaming Hub dashboard when accessing Game Pass Ultimate titles. Options here include changing the aspect ratio from 16:9 to ultra-wide 21:9 or 32:9, moving the screen up or down using the arrow buttons on the remote control, and opening the Video Mode settings menu. match. The quick panel even indicates the status of input lag, variable refresh rate and real-time frame rate per second (changes when variable refresh rate is active). It also indicates high dynamic range status even though games streamed through the Xbox app are in 1080p resolution/standard dynamic range format.
Opinion: Streaming is the future of TV-based games
Apps for streaming movies and TV have been built into the on-screen interface of Smart TVs for many years now, and while external streaming boxes from Apple, Roku and others are still available, many viewers have grown accustomed to the convenience of browsing and streaming from one single screen using a remote control. There’s no reason this experience shouldn’t extend to gaming, something the arrival of Samsung’s Gaming Hub with the Xbox app confirms.
While serious gamers will continue to use PC-based setups to ensure minimal controller latency and take advantage of multiple screens, the low latency provided in Game mode on high-end TVs such as the compatible models in Samsung’s 2022 lineup will be enough to most players. Another benefit is that getting access to a large library of Xbox games through an integrated app, rather than having to buy a console, will encourage more viewers to try games to see if it’s something they’ll enjoy.
Does the Samsung-Xbox announcement portend the end of disc-based consoles and games? Certainly not – as with Blu-ray and DVD formats, discs will continue to be sold for many years to come along with dedicated hardware to play them. But the model for eliminating external boxes from the home viewing hub has been forged, and it’s only a matter of time before all forms of entertainment, including gaming, are fully embedded in the cloud for instant and easy access by smart TVs. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised to see PlayStation Plus announced as the next addition to the Samsung Gaming Hub in the near future.