Microsoft-Hisense partnership announced
Microsoft announced a partnership with Hisense to bring the Xbox app to televisions running the company’s V operating system, formerly VIDAA. The move will let people play Xbox games without a console through Xbox Cloud Gaming, which is included with Game Pass Essential, Premium, and Ultimate. “Our vision is to make sure your games, your community, and your achievements are always within reach. Bringing the Xbox app to select Hisense and V homeOS-powered TVs is another step toward making gaming available across a broad range of devices, to meeting you wherever you want to play,” Microsoft said.
Rollout and platform specifics
Playing Xbox on a Hisense TV will not arrive tomorrow or next week. Microsoft said it will share additional information on how the experience works in the months ahead, signaling a staged rollout. The integration targets TVs powered by V, the operating system previously branded VIDAA, and adds another place to access cloud-streamed games. Xbox Cloud Gaming unlocks streaming through the Xbox app and is available to Game Pass Essential, Premium, and Ultimate subscribers. Microsoft positions the app as part of a broader effort to meet players on their preferred screens while preserving sign‑ins, communities, and achievements across the ecosystem.
Following Samsung, strategy deepens
Hisense becomes the latest TV brand to welcome the Xbox app, following Samsung’s adoption in 2022 that allowed users to stream games directly to their televisions. The expansion aligns with Microsoft’s effort to grow the Xbox audience beyond dedicated consoles. In 2020, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer described the goal in broader ecosystem terms: “It means somebody who is logging in and playing a part of our ecosystem, whether first-party or third-party. And it could be on an Android phone. It could be on a Switch. It could be on a PC. That's how we think about it,” said Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming CEO.
Business case and subscriptions
Game consoles typically do not generate large profits compared to software and services, a dynamic that helps explain Microsoft’s focus on Xbox Game Pass. By creating more subscribers, the company builds a recurring revenue stream while lowering the barrier to entry through cloud access. Xbox Cloud Gaming’s inclusion across Game Pass Essential, Premium, and Ultimate dovetails with the Hisense partnership, adding a living-room path that does not require purchasing hardware. The approach underscores Microsoft’s message that the Xbox ecosystem spans devices, accounts, and libraries, and that bringing the app to V homeOS TVs is about reach rather than replacing existing consoles.
What players should expect next
Microsoft cautioned that playing Xbox on Hisense sets is not imminent, promising to outline setup and availability in the coming months. For players, the key takeaway is straightforward: another way to log in, access communities and achievements, and stream games without owning a physical Xbox. The company frames the effort under its This is an Xbox branding, signaling that smart TVs, PCs, and mobile devices all sit inside the same ecosystem. As with Samsung’s 2022 rollout, adoption on V OS will extend living-room access points while leaving consoles for those who prefer hardware, accessories, and local installs.
