Samsung is overhauling its TV interface, and it’s looking to pull many of your gaming needs together in one place. Via the Gaming Hub, you’ll be able to fire up console games directly from TV home screens so you can start playing them a bit faster. 

Players can access cloud gaming streaming services from the hub, such as NVIDIA’s GeForce Now, Stadia and PC gaming platform Utomik. Samsung says there are more services to come. Microsoft announced at E3 last year that a smart TV app for Xbox Game Pass is on the way, so maybe that’ll land on the Gaming Hub at some point. Game streaming will be available on some of Samsung’s 2022 Smart TV models.

The company teased its latest stab at cloud gaming back in October, and instead of launching its own streaming app, it’s trying to tie multiple services together in one interface. You’ll be able to connect third-party controllers and headsets to compatible TVs, so you might not need to pick up extra hardware to play games on the platform. 

The hub will offer curated game recommendations with the help of Samsung’s AI Gaming Hub tech. With the new Game Bar, you’ll be able to customize aspects of your experience, such as the visuals and the settings. Using the Zoom In Mode, you can take a closer look at various parts of the screen, such as a minimap or journal entry. Meanwhile, the ultrawide Multi View will let you watch a YouTube walkthrough of a section you might be struggling with — similar to the PS5’s activity cards — side by side with the game.

Samsung is keeping gamers in mind on the hardware front too. It’s releasing 4K and 8K TVs with a 144 Hz refresh rate, which could help games look smoother. GeForce Now started offering a 120 fps option in October.

Update 1/3 9:25AM ET: This article was modified after publishing to clarify that Samsung is not creating its own game streaming service, but is working with partners such as Google and NVIDIA.

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Source: https://www.engadget.com/samsung-cloud-gaming-platform-smart-tvs-streaming-020040703.html