Samsung’s cloud gaming hub brings Xbox, Twitch and more to newest smart TVs

Samsung announced yesterday that it is bridging its hardware and software for a better gaming experience, bringing the Samsung Gaming Hub to its 2022 lineup of smart TVs and monitors. Game streaming content on the hub includes Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce Now, Google Stadia, and Utomik, along with apps YouTube and Spotify. Twitch has also been added, and Amazon Luna will be available soon.

The company is rolling out its gaming hub on Samsung TVs like the 2022 Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K and 2022 Smart Monitor Series.

The unofficial Twitch.TV app was removed from Samsung smart TVs in 2019, so the news marks the official app’s first time on the platform. Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming service has been available on Fire TVs since March, and this partnership with Samsung could give the young gaming service a way to reach more players.

Microsoft’s Xbox TV app is the most significant new addition as it is currently exclusive to the Samsung Gaming Hub and provides access to Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Announced during the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show), the Samsung Gaming Hub gives consumers a way to access major cloud gaming services on their smart TV — no console or PC is needed.

Smart TVs offer an increasingly viable alternative to dedicated gaming hardware and Samsung is betting that an all-in-one destination for cloud-based and console games will attract gamers who prioritize convenience.

“The Samsung Gaming Hub combines Samsung’s leadership in streaming technology with our experience in creating the industry’s most cutting-edge hardware, removing the barriers to entry so people can just play,” Won-Jin Lee, President and Head of the Service Business Team at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement. “With expanding partnerships across leading game streaming services and expert-curated recommendations, players will be able to easily browse and discover games from the widest selection available, regardless of platform.”

Players with dedicated game consoles can use Samsung’s support for passthrough controller inputs with the smart TVs, letting them use a single controller instead of pairing multiple ones. That way, consumers can use the bluetooth headsets and controllers they already own across apps and devices.

Samsung Gaming Hub users will also have access to game recommendations, gaming news and tutorials like they might on a dedicated gaming console.