People can now play Xbox games in a new place, with no requirement of owning an Xbox. Microsoft has announced that beginning today, April 23, the Xbox app is now available on some LG televisions, which means anyone owning one of these sets can install the Xbox app to play games via Game Pass.
Supported TVs include 2022 OLED TVs, 2023 Smart TVs, and newer ones, along with monitors running webOS24 or newer. For more, check out the full list of supported devices.
This is part of Microsoft’s “This Is An Xbox” ad campaign that aims to inform or remind people that a device they may already own–including TVs, smartphones, and tablets–can play Xbox games. This is made possible through Game Pass Ultimate ($20/month), which allows users to stream games.
Players can use a compatible Bluetooth controller to play–gamepads from both Xbox and PlayStation are supported. Of course, a critical part of streaming is having a consistent and quality internet connection, and anyone whose internet plan has a datacap should be mindful of that before signing up.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said Xbox’s goal is to increase the number of people playing on Xbox, but “playing on Xbox” doesn’t mean a dedicated Xbox console. “It means somebody who is logging in and playing a part of our ecosystem, whether first-party or third-party. And it could be on an Android phone. It could be on a Switch. It could be on a PC. That’s how we think about it,” he said.
Game consoles usually do not make much money, and if they do, it’s not a lot compared to the much more lucrative games and services. This is why Microsoft is pushing Xbox Game Pass so hard. Creating more subscribers gives Microsoft a regular and recurring revenue stream.
And Microsoft is all about making money. After Xbox’s recent 2,500 layoffs, Spencer defended the cuts, saying they were necessary due to capitalism.
In other Game Pass news, Bethesda’s Oblivion Remastered just arrived this week.