Microsoft says the Xbox app will no longer be supported on 2020 Samsung smart TVs from 3 November 2026, ending that model year's direct route to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Windows Central reported the change after its editor received a notice sent to accounts that had used the app on one of those TVs. The notice attributes the withdrawal to newer cloud gaming technology that is incompatible with the operating system on the affected sets.
The wording applies to 2020 Samsung smart TVs, not every Samsung screen or every way to use Xbox Cloud Gaming on a television. Microsoft told recipients that 2021 and newer Samsung smart TVs will remain supported. It also pointed them towards PCs, phones, tablets and Xbox consoles. A player using the built-in app on a supported 2020 set will therefore need another supported device to keep streaming after the cutoff. Connecting a separate device to the same television is a different route from using the TV's own app.
Microsoft's public Xbox on TVs page still lists selected Samsung smart TVs from 2020 onwards as supported at the time of writing. That listing has not yet been updated to reflect the November notice, so owners checking it today could see a conflicting eligibility claim. The page also lists select LG televisions and Amazon Fire TV devices as other TV-based routes. Compatibility depends on the specific device and region; an HDMI connection alone does not make the Xbox app available on any streaming stick.
This is a device support change, rather than a cancellation of Xbox Cloud Gaming or of a Game Pass subscription. The notice does not say whether the app will disappear from affected TVs before 3 November, remain installed but stop opening, or display an in-app warning. It also does not identify an operating-system update that would preserve support for those 2020 models. Those details matter to people who currently launch cloud games without a console or external streaming device.
The practical check is the TV's model year, rather than its purchase date. People who have used the Xbox app on a Samsung set should look for Microsoft's account notice and verify a replacement device against Xbox's supported-device information before the 3 November cutoff. Xbox's TV page says a compatible controller, suitable internet connection and eligible cloud access are still required on supported screens. Microsoft has not indicated that the TV cutoff changes the cloud games available on other supported devices.
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