Xbox streaming device, Samsung TV app are reportedly coming soon

Microsoft plans to release a streaming device that will let people play Xbox games without a console “in the next 12 months,” VentureBeat reports. The device — which VentureBeat compared to an Amazon Fire TV or Roku — will allow customers to access the Xbox Game Pass library via Xbox Cloud Gaming, along with streaming movie and TV platforms.

VentureBeat also reports that Microsoft has begun work on a native application for Samsung smart TVs, which would enable owners to use the Xbox Cloud Gaming service from their devices without the need to purchase the standalone streaming device. VentureBeat reports that this app should be out within the year. It would presumably work similarly to the app for Nvidia’s game-streaming service, GeForce Now, which launched on LG TVs earlier this year.

The app and streaming device are in line with Microsoft’s long-running plans to increase access to Xbox games by removing barriers to entry — in particular, the need to buy a gaming console that costs hundreds of dollars. One day earlier, the company revealed that Epic Games had joined forces with it to create the Xbox Live app. FortniteXbox Cloud Gaming allows you to view the game in any browser. Microsoft previously stated during E3 2021 about its Xbox streaming devices, smart TV apps, and that they are currently in development.

“We’re working with global TV manufacturers to embed the Game Pass experience directly into internet-connected TVs, so all you’ll need to play is a controller,” said Liz Hamren, then the corporate vice president for gaming experiences and platforms at Microsoft. “Beyond that, we’re also developing stand-alone streaming devices that you can plug into a TV or monitor, so if you have a strong internet connection you can stream your Xbox experience.”