We’ve known for months now that Microsoft was working on bringing an Xbox App to smart TV platforms, and I also got the distinct feeling at a recent Samsung TV event that the South Korean brand was itching to say something about the Xbox App but wasn’t yet allowed. Well, today the cat is officially out of the bag, with Samsung and Microsoft putting out a joint statement confirming that the world’s first TVs to receive the eagerly awaited Xbox App will be Samsung sets.
The Xbox App will be integrated into the new Gaming Hub Samsung is adding to its latest TVs, and will bring access without the need for any console to more than 100 high quality games. Titles announced so far include such big hitters as Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Microsoft Flight Simulator and Sea Of Thieves. Future titles from Xbox Game Studios are also promised to be made available through the Xbox App on their day of release.
Samsung has a long-running marketing relationship with Microsoft, but the decision to launch the Xbox App on Samsung’s latest TVs first may also have something to do with Samsung’s claims to have introduced new latency-reducing technology for its 2022 TVs, as well as advanced motion enhancements and other game-specific features designed to enhance the gaming experience.
The statement released today doesn’t explicitly mention a date for when the Xbox App will appear on Samsung’s TVs, but it does note that the Samsung Gaming Hub will start rolling out to 2022 Samsung smart TVs on a region by region basis from June 30th. So hopefully we might find the Xbox App taking its place alongside the confirmed likes of NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Google Stadia and Utomik as soon as the Hub goes live.
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Samsung TVs set to receive the Xbox App include the brand’s 2022 Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K, and QLED (from the BU8000 up) sets, plus the brand’s 2022 ‘Smart Monitor’ series.
CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer said this of his company’s partnership with Samsung: “We’re on a quest to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet, and bringing the Xbox app to smart TVs is another step in making our vision a reality. That’s why we’re excited to partner with Samsung, a global leader in TVs, on bringing Xbox to more players. Working with Samsung has helped us provide more access to gaming and enabled us to welcome new players into our thriving community.”
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