Xbox announces smart TV app, reveals plans for Activision titles

Xbox has recently pleased its fans with multiple exciting news, which included the reveal of a new Xbox app for Samsung Smart TVs, as well as the reveal of the company’s plans not to make Activision Blizzard games Xbox exclusive.

The Xbox app for Samsung’s 2022 line of Smart TVs will be out on June 30 and available without owning the actual console. 

Cloud gaming with Samsung

Xbox seems to be following through with its mission of “enabling more people to play than ever before”, as its newest partnership with Samsung suggests. The move follows the company’s efforts to push the Xbox Game Pass to most of the widely used platforms, including PCs, mobile and now smart TVs. 

Starting on June 30, the Xbox will launch its app for Samsung’s 2022 line of Smart TVs in 27 countries. The service will allow Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to stream games directly to their TV screen, no console required.

Users will gain access to over 100 titles, including titles by Xbox Game Studios, as well as  Fortnite, which doesn’t require membership if accessed through Xbox Cloud Gaming. Xbox promises a “seamless experience similar to using other streaming apps”. To start playing, users just need to log in to their Microsoft account via the Xbox app and connect their controller to the TV.

Ashley McKissick, Corporate Vice President, Gaming Experiences & Platforms at Xbox, commented in the company’s official announcement: 

“Our mission at Xbox is to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet.

We’re super excited by what this next step means for all you gamers out there. With this rollout, we’re making it easier than ever to play games on the devices you already own. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and a controller, you can easily jump into the world of gaming and connect with your friends and communities on Xbox.”

Activision Blizzard games won’t be Xbox exclusive

Following sound concerns from the gaming community, Microsoft executives have now addressed the question of what’s going to happen with Activision’s intellectual property after the Activision Blizzard acquisition. 

During a recent media briefing, Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, confirmed that the tech giant is not planning on making the existing Activision multiplatform titles Xbox exclusive. He stated: 

“The last thing we want to do is take something away. If anything, we feel that it’s our job to be caretakers, to be shepherds, to continue to build and nurture that community, not to cut it up into pieces and try to take some of it away.”

However, Xbox executives did make it clear that some Activision-Blizzard titles, presumably the upcoming brand new ones, will be exclusive. Xbox’s philosophy regarding its Game Pass is pretty straightforward – the company aims to put as many Activision Blizzard titles as possible into Game Pass once the acquisition is complete.

Header: Xbox