Want to play the latest Xbox games without buying a console? LG’s newest Smart TVs will soon let you do just that. LG and Xbox have joined forces to bring Xbox games right to your TV screen through what they call the Gaming Portal.
With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($20 per month), you can play hundreds of games on your LG TV. All you need is a compatible controller from Xbox, PlayStation, Logitech, Google, or Amazon.
Popular games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and new releases like Avowed will be available to play. Even better, you can play games you already own, such as NBA 2K25 or Hogwarts Legacy, whether they’re part of Game Pass or not.
“We want to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to more players, letting new and longtime Xbox’ers find their favorite games and play with friends across screens,” says Lori Wright from Xbox. LG’s Chris Jo adds that the Gaming Portal will provide users with “a seamless, convenient and exciting way to enhance the gaming experience on LG Smart TVs.”
But here’s what you should know before getting excited: the games won’t look quite as sharp as they do on an actual Xbox console. The picture quality tops out at Full HD (1080p) and 60 frames per second, and you need a good internet connection for smooth gameplay. It’s like streaming a movie – if your internet is slow, the quality might drop.
LG isn’t just dipping its toe in the gaming waters. They’re investing more than 1 trillion won ($740 million) to improve their TV system. Currently, they offer about 4,000 games through their TV platform globally, and this Xbox partnership will add many more.
The Gaming Portal, accessible from the Home Screen, works like a gaming library where you can find all your games in one place. It includes cloud gaming apps, games you can play with your TV remote, recently played titles, popular games, and editor’s picks.
This setup might not replace gaming consoles entirely. But it does give you a new way to play games without spending hundreds on a console. The trade-off is simple: you get convenience and save money on hardware, but you might notice the games don’t look or sound quite as impressive as they would on a dedicated gaming machine.
The service will be available on select LG Smart TV models later this year. It’s part of a bigger change in how we play games, moving towards streaming-based gaming solutions.
This isn’t just about playing games – it’s about making gaming more accessible. Instead of needing a separate gaming console, a TV you might already have could be your gaming device. For those considering getting into gaming, or players who don’t need top-end graphics, this could be a practical way to access a huge library of games without the upfront cost of a console.