Samsung plans to bring cloud gaming partner apps to the company’s 2020 smart TVs later this year, expanding its cloud gaming services to older TV models for the second year in a row.
In July 2022, the company launched Samsung Gaming Hub, it’s game streaming platform designed for its smart TVs and smart monitors. Shortly after, in November of that year, Samsung said it would be bringing its cloud gaming partner apps to its 2021 smart TVs, making individual apps from game streaming partners Xbox, NVIDIA, and others.
Samsung is apparently continuing that trend again this year, announcing at Gamescon today backward compatibility for its cloud gaming partner apps on 2020 TVs. While Samsung smart TVs older than 2022 won’t have access to the full Gaming Hub platform, they will have access to individual apps from Samsung’s game streaming partners, essentially giving those users access to the same games available through the Gaming Hub.
Mike Lucero, head of product for gaming at Samsung, made the announcement at the company’s booth during the trade show.
“Today, we are thrilled to announce that we will expand cloud gaming apps to our 2020 model-year TVs later this year, giving tens of millions of players access to their favorite games and services,” Lucero said, according to a Samsung spokesperson. “And soon, players will enjoy an entirely new gaming experience on the Freestyle Gen 2 with Samsung Gaming Hub.”
The news comes just days after Samsung launched the Freestyle Gen 2 portable projector with support for Gaming Hub, which the company calls the first portable projector with cloud gaming built in.
Samsung offered no further information or comment, so when exactly the company begins rolling out updates to support those gaming apps on 2020 TVs, and what specific TV models will support cloud gaming, remains to be seen.
According to Samsung, Gaming Hub is now supported on all 2022 and 2023 Samsung smart TVs, as well as select 2022 and 2023 Samsung smart monitors.
While the full Gaming Hub platform is available on Samsung TVs from 2022 and newer, these 2021 models will only support cloud gaming apps such as Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and more: QN800A, QN850A, QN900A, WS1A, QN700A, LS03A, AU7000, AU8000, AU9000, QN95A-QN85A, & Q80A-Q50A.
Meanwhile, the company adds U.S. support for game streaming on these models 20m21: 98QN90A, 32Q60A, all sizes of Q70A and AU8000.
Launched in July 2022, Samsung Gaming Hub allows users to play a variety of games on Xbox, Nvidia GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna, Utomik, Anstream Arcade and Blacknut Cloud Gaming.
In a press release announcing access to individual apps from game streaming partners for 2021 models last year, Lucero said support for cloud gaming apps on 2021 TVs was the number one question he received.
“Today we are happy to share with our eager fans that they will be able to play the games they love before the end of this year,” Lucero said in the Nov. 17, 2022 announcement. “With any leading Bluetooth-enabled gaming controller and internet connection, millions of players will be able to access an expansive library of games ranging from the best AAAs to the hottest indies and retro games directly through partner apps on select 2021 Smart TVs, making Samsung devices a preferred destination for game streaming.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the full Gaming Hub platform would be coming to 2020 TVs. Cloud gaming partner apps are coming to 2020 model-year TVs, not the full Gaming Hub platform.
