Speaker 1: This TV has an Xbox inside it. Kind of what it has is the Samsung Gaming Hub, a feature supported on all 20 23, 20 22 and select 2021 Samsung Smart TVs. This hub connects to various cloud-based game streaming services, such as Xbox Game Pass. I wanted to find out if this TV creates a good enough experience to replace an Xbox. This is Samsung's Neo QLED, qn 90 CA great looking TV with the available gaming hub. This feature only [00:00:30] works with cloud-based streaming games. In other words, you aren't downloading games onto the TV to play locally, you're streaming them, which means you must be connected to the internet at all times. In order to cloud stream games in the gaming hub, Samsung recommends a five gigahertz wifi connection of 20 megabits per second or higher, or wired over ethernet. The great advantage of streaming games is it means you can jump right into playing them without having to wait for a lengthy install, and you don't have to worry about hard drive space.
Speaker 1: With game sizes getting bigger all the time, downloading [00:01:00] a game can take a while even at the internet speeds. Samsung is recommending being able to stream games from the Game Pass Library allows players to try out new games the minute they become available. Instead of downloading all 100 plus gigs of forts of Motorsport, you can start playing right away by streaming it pretty great. If you're wanting to try out something new without waiting for the install time to finish. It's important to note that in order to access the Xbox Game Pass Library of Games, whether you're directly on an Xbox or just through this tv, you're going to need to subscribe. [00:01:30] Specifically, you're going to need to pay for the $17 monthly ultimate option since you need access to the cloud section of games. To access the Gaming hub, you'll need to navigate to the left side of the screen.
Speaker 1: Then into the game section. Here you'll find a list of available cloud gaming services such as GForce. Now, Amazon, Luna, and the one we're interested in today, Xbox Game Pass. But first, we need to pair a controller to the tv. If you have an Xbox controller that supports Bluetooth, that will work. If you aren't sure which controllers will work, you can go to xbox.com/smart [00:02:00] tv pair to see a list. Surprisingly, you can even use a PlayStation five controller. Next, we need to select the Xbox app, which will prompt an installer. When that's done and launched, you'll need to sign into your Game Pass subscription. If you don't have an account yet, you'll be able to make one now. Otherwise, just follow the onscreen instructions, whether in this menu or in a game. Holding down the Play Pause button will open a side menu that gives you access to popular games.
Speaker 1: Spotify, if you'd like to listen to music or a podcast while gaming [00:02:30] featured gaming videos from YouTube and settings there, you can search for games, access controller and sound options, as well as adjust visual and game performance. The first thing you'll notice is that stream games don't look anywhere near as nice as if you are playing locally, and that's to be expected. If you've watched a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu, you're familiar with visual artifacts and the buffering that occurs when the internet strength dips, and you're going to experience that as well. When cloud gaming, this is especially noticeable whenever you're looking at text. Let's look at the racing game. Dirt five. [00:03:00] There are artifacts and noise constantly throughout the race. We can see it looking especially blurry when the game tries to show the detail in the mud. Now, here's a few cloud games compared to running them locally on an Xbox. You're going to notice this dip in visual quality the most on games with lots of fast movement games with a lot of static images like a visual novel or an old school, RPG will fare much better and shouldn't be as noticeably impacted.
Speaker 1: [00:03:30] Loading times are pretty similar to what you'd find playing directly on an Xbox series X. That's because the network you're playing over is connecting to series X hardware. On the other side, you're basically remotely controlling an Xbox Series X in some Microsoft warehouse or basement somewhere. The audio and response time is very good. I experienced no issues with clipping [00:04:00] or dipping sound even though the visuals would rise and fall in quality, it wasn't joined by fluctuating input leg, and that's important. The character still moves smoothly and controlling a racing vehicle wasn't an issue. I was even able to place some lies of PA souls like game that relies heavily on very precise button inputs when in combat. It's worth noting. The Xbox ecosystem also supports cloud saves. This means if you're playing a Game pass game on your Xbox, you can pick up from where you left off on another platform like a pc, a mobile phone, [00:04:30] and even this tv. This feature means you'll never have to worry about restarting a game or only playing specific titles in specific places.
Speaker 1: You can also connect a headset for chatting with friends, have access to multiplayer, a feature that your Game Pass subscription includes, and every other social feature you'd expect on the console itself. Xbox Game Pass and Samsung's Gaming Hub aren't going to give you the best way to play your games, but that's not the point anyone spending. The kind of money that these TVs go for could easily pick something cheaper [00:05:00] and have an extra $250 to buy themselves an Xbox Series S. What the Gaming Hub is perfect for though, is on a secondary TV like in a bedroom. It's great for people who already have an Xbox they use on their main display, but still want to access some of these games without having to move the console to another room with the incredibly small leg and cloud syncing for save games. Playing games on the gaming hub is definitely serviceable. It's also a great feature for anyone who may not already have an Xbox, but wanted access to Xbox Game Pass'. Incredible value. [00:05:30] If you're a PlayStation fan and are gaming on a Samsung tv, you now have access to an entire different library of games, and you can play them with the PSS five controller you already have. In both these cases, the Samsung Gaming Hub is a perfect secondary or additional experience and not a full replacement for the console itself. But what do you think? Let me know in the comments and thanks for watching.
