Microsoft Expands Living Room Reach via TCL Partnership and New Cloud Pricing
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The gaming giant is pushing a console-less future by integrating the Xbox app into more smart TVs and introducing pay-as-you-go streaming.
Microsoft is aggressively expanding the reach of its gaming ecosystem into the living room through a series of hardware partnerships and pricing shifts. According to reporting from The Verge, Microsoft is partnering with TCL to bring the Xbox app to supported smart TVs in the coming months. This app allows users to stream select owned games or Game Pass titles via Xbox Cloud Gaming without requiring a physical console.
TCL is the latest manufacturer to join this effort; The Verge notes that Microsoft has already established similar integrations with Samsung, LG, and Amazon Fire TV devices, as well as Hisense TVs running the VIDAA OS.
To further lower the barrier to entry for non-console owners, Microsoft is introducing a pay-as-you-go option for Xbox Cloud Gaming in November, which removes the requirement for an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Additionally, The Verge reports that Microsoft has been testing a free, ad-supported version of the cloud service for Xbox Insiders.
However, this expansion comes alongside new restrictions for existing subscribers. The Verge reports that Microsoft is limiting monthly cloud hours: Game Pass Ultimate subscribers are capped at 15 hours, Premium subscribers at 10 hours, and Game Pass Essential subscribers at 5 hours. Users who exceed these limits must purchase bundles of additional cloud hours.