Xbox brings Game Pass cloud gaming to Smart TVs

Xbox is rolling out its cloud gaming app for Smart TVs running VIDAA OS, allowing owners of compatible Hisense televisions to play titles from Xbox Game Pass without an Xbox console or separate gaming device.

The rollout is currently limited to some models. Microsoft plans to expand the list of supported countries and televisions through future firmware updates. The company did not provide a specific release schedule for that expansion.

What Xbox cloud gaming requires on Smart TV

To use the service, players need:

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• A television running VIDAA OS 9.6 or later
• An active Xbox Game Pass subscription
• A fast, stable internet connection
• A Bluetooth controller, including the Xbox Wireless Controller, DualSense, or DualShock 4

After the TV receives the update, the Xbox app appears on the home screen or in the Games tab. Users sign in, pair a controller, and choose a title. The library includes hundreds of games, and cloud saves let Game Pass subscribers continue progress on other devices.

The article identifies Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential as supported subscription tiers. The app can also launch games purchased separately, not only titles included with Game Pass.

Xbox expands beyond consoles and PCs

Bringing the service to VIDAA extends Xbox’s existing cloud-gaming strategy beyond consoles, computers, and phones. Samsung offers Gaming Hub, while LG and other television manufacturers operate their own gaming storefronts. Cloud streaming removes the need to buy a console or gaming PC, although the rollout still depends on compatible hardware, a supported region, and a reliable connection.

Microsoft also added Xbox-game compatibility for Windows PCs and supported handheld devices such as the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X in the same month. The VIDAA launch therefore adds another screen to the company’s effort to keep Game Pass access available across devices, even for users who do not own an Xbox Series X or gaming PC.

Maxim Tretyakov is a technical reviewer who mainly covers the mobile-phone market and automotive technologies. He has written 740 articles about flagship smartphone launches, including Xiaomi and Apple devices, neural-network features in consumer gadgets, and the state of the domestic automotive industry. His coverage also includes hardware ranging from graphics-card concepts to smart rings, as well as technology-market regulation.