Microsoft is expanding Xbox Cloud Gaming beyond consoles and PCs, partnering with TCL to bring the Xbox app to select TCL Smart TVs in the coming months. The move gives gamers another way to access Xbox titles directly from a television without needing an Xbox console.
The partnership, announced on September 4, is part of Xbox’s broader push to make its gaming ecosystem available across more devices. Microsoft says the app will reach millions of TCL TV users across more than 25 countries, allowing them to stream supported Xbox games on TVs they already own.
Xbox gaming moves closer to becoming a TV app
Once the Xbox app arrives on supported TCL Smart TVs, players will be able to access Xbox Cloud Gaming through an Xbox Game Pass subscription and stream supported games directly to their television. Eligible Game Pass subscribers will also get access to an instant library of cloud-playable games.
There is a catch, however: users will need a supported TCL Smart TV, a compatible controller, and cloud playtime included with Xbox Game Pass or purchased separately. So while the console can stay out of the equation, the controller and subscription still matter.
For players, the appeal is fairly straightforward. A supported TV could effectively become another entry point into the Xbox ecosystem, making it possible to play without buying dedicated Xbox hardware. That could be particularly useful for casual players or households that already have a compatible TCL television.
The partnership also highlights Microsoft’s strategy of making Xbox less dependent on a single piece of hardware. Rather than restricting the experience to consoles, the company says it wants players to have more choice in how and where they play.
Your games can follow you across Xbox devices
The TV experience will also retain key parts of the wider Xbox ecosystem. Microsoft says games, friends, achievements and saves can travel between supported TCL Smart TVs, consoles and PCs, allowing players to pick up where they left off.
That means the television isn’t being treated as an isolated gaming platform. Instead, it becomes another screen through which players can access their existing Xbox experience.
For now, Microsoft has only said the Xbox app will arrive on select TCL Smart TVs in the coming months. It has not provided a specific launch date in the announcement. The rollout will therefore depend on supported TV models and regional availability.
The next step is for Xbox and TCL to reveal which Smart TV models and countries will receive the app, followed by the actual rollout. Until then, gamers will have to wait before turning their TCL television into another Xbox Cloud Gaming machine.
