Microsoft is extending Xbox Cloud Gaming to millions of users by launching the Xbox app to VIDAA OS-powered smart TVs including Hisense models. The launch allows suitable users to stream Xbox games directly on compatible televisions without owning an Xbox console. This supports the company’s goal of making gaming accessible on devices players already own.
The expansion follows Microsoft’s broader effort to scale Xbox beyond conventional gaming hardware. The organization said it has already extended Xbox streaming to more than 150 million TVs and devices across the globe. The newest launch targets compatible VIDAA OS televisions from 2024 to 2026 running version 9.6 or later.
Rather than treating consoles as a mechanism into the Xbox environment, Microsoft is focusing on Xbox gaming, Game Pass and cross-device availability. It allows players to continue across TVs, PCs, mobile devices and VR headsets.
Why Is Microsoft Bringing Xbox to More Smart TVs?
Microsoft said that the latest extension is focused on making gaming available, especially for players who may not be able to afford purchasing dedicated gaming hardware. With the Xbox app installed on supported VIDAA OS and Hisense smart TVs, users only need a compatible Bluetooth controller, a stable high-speed internet connection and an eligible Xbox Game Pass subscription to begin streaming games.
Game Pass subscribers can avail themselves of hundreds of cloud-enabled titles, while supported games can also be streamed even if they’re not included in the Game Pass catalogue. Progress is synchronized across devices, letting players hop between televisions, PCs, smartphones, tablets, or consoles, without losing their place. Microsoft said the launch will extend gradually as software updates reach additional compatible TV and geographical locations.
To access the service, users must update their television to VIDAA OS 9.6, sign in with an Xbox account, and pair a supported wireless controller, including Xbox Wireless Controllers, Xbox Elite Series 2, Xbox Adaptive Controller, PlayStation DualSense, or DualShock 4 controllers. The move also expands Xbox’s growing device ecosystem, which already includes supported Samsung and LG smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, Windows PCs, browsers, handheld gaming devices, Xbox consoles, and select Meta Quest VR headsets.
How Does the TV Expansion Fit Microsoft’s Longstanding Xbox Strategy?
The Hisense and VIDAA OS launch shows Microsoft’s broader shift towards placing Xbox as a gaming platform rather than a hardware-reliant ecosystem. While consoles remain a crucial part of the business, the organization has invested in cloud gaming and subscription services that allow users to play across multiple devices. That plan was laid out in an internal roadmap obtained by The Verge, where Xbox leadership emphasized plans to return the business to player and revenue growth by the end of fiscal year 2027.
Xbox has revealed its roadmap for the next several years. Despite expansion into PC, cloud gaming and Game Pass, consoles will remain the core of the Xbox business.
— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) July 31, 2026
In an internal memo obtained by The Verge, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said the first major goal is to return Xbox to… pic.twitter.com/4bD7GfBsrt
The roadmap identified strengthening the Xbox platform, extending first-party franchises, growing creator ecosystems through Minecraft, and extending Xbox properties into comprehensive entertainment as its core priorities. According to the blueprint, Xbox now reaches more than 100 million people every day, over 500 million each month, and nearly 1 billion annually across consoles, PC, cloud gaming, and other Xbox services. The organization also plans to organise Xbox Studios around its biggest franchises while expanding major gaming intellectual properties into films and other entertainment formats.
The newest TV launch supports that ambition by reducing the necessity of dedicated hardware in accessing Xbox games. For players, it reduces the barrier to entry by allowing existing smart TVs to function as gaming devices. While for Microsoft, it expands the reach of Xbox Game Pass and cloud gaming without depending on console sales. As cloud infrastructure continues to develop, Microsoft’s strategy suggests the future of Xbox is increasingly defined by the service rather than the box beneath the television.
