A year after announcing its intention to deploy Xbox Game Pass subscriptions directly on connected TVs, Microsoft is about to implement this new phase in its grand conquest. As a Microsoft partner for Samsung Galaxy, the South Korean manufacturer will be the first to welcome Xbox Game Pass on its connected TVs in the form of the Xbox app installed in the Samsung Game Center menu. Until June 30 at the latest, subscribers in 27 countries will be able to access the Game Pass catalog without a console, PC or mobile device. If you start in 2022, you can play from your TV with just a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and a Bluetooth controller (Xbox or even DualSense). Microsoft is now working on similar partnerships with other manufacturers.
This dream inspired Sony in 2015…
Ironically, here is where Microsoft fulfilled Sony’s vision for PlayStation Now, which launched in 2015. At the time, the Japanese manufacturer planned to deploy its cloud catalog on as many platforms as possible, including its own connected TVs as well as those from Samsung. Seven years later, however, the market seems to have better embraced this consumption model, not to mention Microsoft’s massive cloud infrastructure and the fact that its Game Pass subscriptions are more popular today than ever. Gone this month to make way for a new PlayStation Plus formula.
Playable demo for Game Pass subscribers
Microsoft also announced Project Moorcroft, which will test certain games before they release on Xbox Game Pass. Note that we’re not talking about trials available to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers, but rather demos designed to try out the game while it’s still in production, like the demos we’ve spotted at shows like E3 before. The program, which will debut next year, will initially focus on indie studios to help them showcase their games. Participating developers will have the necessary tools to measure the success of their demos, and Microsoft has also mentioned financial compensation in exchange for their efforts.
Something else to know →