Your Samsung Smart TV just got smarter – about cloud gaming


Having come a long way since 2013, the revamped Samsung Gaming Hub is bringing the hottest games to the company’s 2022 line of Smart TVs and monitors.
People see the Samsung Gaming Hub (opens in new tab) as the start of a new era in cloud gaming and it’s easy to see why. The platform allows gamers to access all of the major cloud gaming services without the need for a PC or an expensive console. And there’s been a lot of hype surrounding it because of the new Xbox integration.
New platforms
Xbox Cloud Gaming is now available on the Samsung Gaming Hub facing off against services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Google Stadia. You’ll need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($15 a month) subscription to access the 100-plus games available on the Gaming Hub. Don’t be surprised if that number grows soon because there are over 350 titles on Game Pass Ultimate in total.
Samsung also threw in a Twitch app as part of the rollout, but it appears that you’ll only be able to watch streams. We asked the company if people can stream themselves via the app, but we haven’t heard from them yet. And surprisingly, support for Amazon Luna is in the works. Luna launched in the US back in early March; prior to that, it was invite-only. It’s a streaming service with multiple themed channels that you can subscribe to. For example, there’s a Jackbox Games channel, a Ubisoft Plus channel, one for retro games, and more.
As for the supporting hardware, Samsung specifically calls out the 2022 Neo QLED 8K (opens in new tab) TVs and the Smart Monitor Series (opens in new tab) as prime examples. The company claims these displays will have a reduced lag input of around 30 percent compared to older models. A full list of supporting TVs can be found on the Gaming Hub page (opens in new tab). Be aware that pre-2022 Smart TVs don’t support the platform and it’s unlikely they ever will.
Most controllers and headsets can be connected to the Gaming Hub via Bluetooth. We also asked Samsung which devices aren’t supported, and again, we haven’t heard from them yet.
Future of gaming
What makes cloud gaming so industry warping (opens in new tab) is the fact that it “opens the door to games you can’t play on low-powered devices.” Gamers will no longer be restricted by weak computers. Imagine a world where consoles are phased out in favor of an official app. Of course, we’ll have to see what the performance is like on these smart TVs before any of us trash our consoles.
Microsoft clearly sees the potential in cloud gaming, but what about Sony? The closest thing is the new PlayStation Plus and its multiple tiers. As far as we know, Sony isn’t planning on releasing a version of its service to PCs or on third-party platforms. But the company has seen tremendous success with releasing its exclusive titles to PC. Perhaps Sony is trying to balance having some games on PC but focusing on the PS5 first; a case of having its cake and eating it too.
Be sure to check out our list of the best cloud gaming services, if you’re looking for recommendations.
Audio player loading… Having come a long way since 2013, the revamped Samsung Gaming Hub is bringing the hottest games to the company’s 2022 line of Smart TVs and monitors. People see the Samsung Gaming Hub (opens in new tab) as the start of a new era in cloud gaming…
Recent Posts
- An obscure French startup just launched the cheapest true 5K monitor in the world right now and I can’t wait to test it
- Google Meet’s AI transcripts will automatically create action items for you
- No, it’s not an April fool, Intel debuts open source AI offering that gauges a text’s politeness level
- It’s clearly time: all the news about the transparent tech renaissance
- Windows 11 24H2 hasn’t raised the bar for the operating system’s CPU requirements, Microsoft clarifies
Archives
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- September 2018
- October 2017
- December 2011
- August 2010