Microsoft Plans to Bring Xbox to Samsung Smart TV

Microsoft Corp is rolling out apps like Netflix Inc. on Samsung Smart TVs. This allows users to play Xbox games without a console and increase the number of subscribers to video game streaming services.

Announced Thursday, the move is part of an industry-wide trend to bring games to the cloud and lock players to subscriptions. Launched in 2017, Microsoft's subscription service, Game Pass, had 25 million subscribers as of January, an increase of  39% over the previous year. The price for this service is $10 per month.

Cloud gaming allows you to stream games over an internet-connected device, much like streaming video on Netflix, Hulu, and other platforms. However, streaming games are more difficult because the games are interactive and require more data to run smoothly.

Last year, Microsoft announced that it would work with TV makers to integrate Xbox gaming services into smart TVs. At that time, Microsoft said it was building its own streaming device for cloud gaming. On Thursday, the company said users only needed a Bluetooth-enabled controller to use Samsung's gaming apps.