I sold my Xbox Series X at the end of last year. I figured I’d get a Series S later to fill the role, but that desire for a replacement hasn’t yet come around. This makes me the ideal customer for the Xbox app, newly released on LG TVs, to re-acquaint myself with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass offerings.
I somehow kept my Game Pass subscription going this whole time. While I’d occasionally use it on my Android tablet, it was mostly going to waste after disposing of my Xbox. So I fired up my LG C3, grabbed a PlayStation DualSense, and put the Xbox app through its paces.
Xbox Series LG?
Getting everything up and running was easy. I followed a QR code using my smartphone to link my Xbox account. Right away, my Game Pass subscription and recently played games were ready to roll.
Upon starting the app, it asks which controller you’d like to connect to your TV. Since it uses Bluetooth, you’re not necessarily limited to an Xbox controller. In fact, I was surprised to see on this Microsoft-branded screen that it suggested using a PlayStation or Switch controller. I know the days of the dreaded “Console Wars” are long behind us. Still, seeing stuff like this catches me off guard.
Ahead In The Cloud
Within minutes, I’m navigating the Xbox Game Pass library with my PlayStation controller. There are tonnes of options for what to play.
If you’re unfamiliar with how the Xbox app works, it uses Xbox Cloud Gaming to stream gameplay to your TV. That means you’re not using a console’s horsepower on your end. You do need a decent internet connection, but it’s not as demanding as you’d expect.
To keep my testing as basic as possible, I didn’t bother connecting my TV with an Ethernet cable. I wanted to see how the Wi-Fi would hold up as I thought the typical consumer for this service might do the same. At no point did my streaming suffer from unplayable input latency or poor picture quality.
A New Horizon
If you’ve read this far, you probably just want to know how the games play. Overall, it’s really solid, but let’s break it down game by game.
I started with my favourite Xbox franchise and fired up Forza Horizon 5. This was the only game where I noticed significant issues. There was a jittery quality to the motion as I began to explore the open world. It wasn’t unplayable, but something to remind you that you aren’t rendering this game locally.
That being said, it quickly passed. Once I was competing in races, it felt much the same as when I was playing this on my dearly departed Series X.
Wanting to stretch the capabilities of the input latency, I sought out a platformer. Spyro Reignited Trilogy is hardly the Dark Souls of 3D platformers, I confess. But if there was a noticeable delay, it was surely going to lead to a few stray deaths. I completed a handful of levels without breaking a sweat.
That’s when I decided to pick something really outlandish. I launched some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer. I’m not kidding myself here. Playing this over the cloud was going to leave me at a disadvantage that no amount of streaming tech could overcome. That being said, I could kinda hold my own during a match. Sure, I had a 0.64 K/D ratio, but I’d probably rate around that level on a real Xbox. I’m terrible at these games, after all.
I’m not pretending this is an ideal experience. But if you wanted to play the campaign or just mindlessly goof around in multiplayer, it’s absolutely an option.
Finally, with all the hype this week, I jumped in to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. At this risk of saying something controversial, I’ve never liked this game. For some reason, Skyrim grabbed me while Oblivion has always left me a bit cold. The clunky controls and stilted performances always stood in my way of appreciating just how monumental this game is for RPG history.
Playing the remaster didn’t change my mind, but it’s cool to jump in and be a part of the conversation with such little barrier to entry.
A Superb, But Supplementary Gaming Service
All in all, the Xbox app on LG TVs is a really accessible way to get into console gaming. It’s not a perfect, ideal gaming experience by any means. A lot of factors such as your internet setup and having spare controllers will potentially hamper your experience. But as a supplementary service in an increasingly expensive gaming economy, it’s a pretty remarkable deal.
Subscribing to Xbox Game Pass gets you two possible GOTY contenders in Blue Prince and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, as well as an all-time great with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. You also get some of the biggest multiplayer games in the world with Grand Theft Auto V and the Call of Duty franchise. And sports fans are sorted with the likes of EA Sports FC 24, Madden NFL 25 and F1 24 waiting for you.
Needless to say, the Xbox brand has had an identity crisis since the success of the Xbox 360. Initiatives like this go a long way to re-establish some trust with consumers and create a point of difference. The overall Xbox platform doesn’t seem able to compete with powerhouses like Nintendo or Sony at this point, but finding different ways into the market like this will give Microsoft’s enormous gaming library a winning opportunity to connect with audiences.
In any event, I only have one month left on this dormant Game Pass subscription, so I better get to using it!
The Xbox app is now available on LG TVs supporting webOS 24 or newer, having already been available on selected Samsung smart TVs and Amazon Fire Sticks. Xbox Cloud Gaming is also available on Android, iOS, Windows, MacBooks and selected Meta Quest devices.
