Xbox Game Pass is coming to your LG smart TV

By Tomas Franzese Published January 6, 2025

Key art for Cloud Gaming through the Xbox app. — Microsoft

At CES 2025, LG and Microsoft announced that an Xbox app is coming to LG smart TVs sometime this year.

The Xbox app is already available on newer Samsung TVs, and it lets people try out Game Pass Ultimate titles via cloud gaming, even if they don’t own an Xbox Series X or S console.

Recommended Videos

The announcement of this collaboration on Xbox Wire particularly spotlights Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which launched into Game Pass Ultimate in October, and Avowed, a new RPG from Obsidian Entertainment that launches on February 18. While those games are directly part of the Game Pass catalog, the LG Xbox app will also let players access owned Xbox games that support Xbox Cloud Gaming but aren’t on Game Pass, like Hogwarts Legacy.

An ad for the LG Smart TV and Xbox app collaboration. — Microsoft

The Xbox app will be part of the LG smart TV’s Gaming Portal when it launches this year. LG Senior VP of Platform Business Chris Jo said that this partnership will “enrich the gaming experience on LG Smart TVs with a broader selection of popular games” and that the “Gaming Portal will provide users with a seamless, convenient and exciting way to enhance the gaming experience on LG Smart TVs,” in a statement to press.

LG and Microsoft have not revealed which specific TVs will get the Xbox app just yet, but plan to reveal more in the coming months. As such, a specific release date for the Xbox app on LG smart TVs has not been confirmed yet, but we can expect it to be released sometime in 2025. To access Xbox Cloud Gaming, you’ll need a $20-a-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Topics

Gaming

Where to find the cartographer in Emerald Stair in Avowed

Environmental shot of Galawains Tusks Slumbering Fields in Avowed.

You will probably have a good grip on all the tips and tricks needed to beat Avowed by the time you reach the second zone, Emerald Stair. However, no matter how many abilities you have or how good your gear is, finding a missing person with just a vague hint never gets any easier. We already helped Sanza find a missing cartographer in Dawntrail, but he has lost another in Emerald Stair and needs us to track them down. Like last time, the Avowed won't tell you where to go so we explored the entire region to show you exactly where to track them down.
Where to find the cartographer in Emerald Stair

The first cartographer quest at least gave you the general direction to find them, but this time we are only given the name of the area within Emerald Stair. The area in question is called Naku Tedek and is the isolated island on the south end of the map.

Gaming

3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (March 14-16)

The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.

The beginning of March was light in upcoming PS5 games, but the long-delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows is right around the corner. But we still have an entire weekend to fill before it comes out, which is where your PlayStation Plus subscription pays off. The Essential games for March were incredibly strong, but the back catalogue of Extra and Premium games has the perfect selection to get you excited for all the biggest upcoming video games, like Death Stranding 2. Or, it could be the perfect way to find a fun, bite-sized game to hold you over until next week's releases hit and dominate your time. As always, I have hand-selected only the best games in PlayStation Plus for you to play this weekend.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut - Announcement Trailer | PS5, PS4

Even before Shadows was announced, Ghost of Tsushima was touted as being the Japanese AC game that Ubisoft should have made years ago. While that is a reductive way to frame it, there's no denying there are similarities, and the two will be directly compared. Whether you plan on playing Shadows or not, Ghost is a magnificent game that still boasts some of the best graphics on PS5. Exploring the vibrant island of Tsushima as you follow the wind and animals rather than waypoints gives you a deep appreciation for the world you're fighting for. If you missed out on the Director's Cut content, jumping back in for the Iki Island DLC is perhaps the best part of the experience.

Gaming

3 Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (March 14-16)

Assassin's Creed Odyssey review

Game Pass serves many functions as a service. Some use it to play the best Xbox Series X games on release, others lean on it between games, and everything in between. One of our favorite ways to take advantage of the massive Game Pass catalog is in preparation for upcoming Xbox Series X games. Whether it be playing previous games in a series to get caught up, or games in a similar genre to get in the mood, Game Pass has what you're looking for. We have our eye on Assassin's Creed Shadows next week just like you, but what about this weekend? Here are the best Xbox Game Pass games to boot up over the break.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Launch Trailer | Ubisoft [NA]

All the best Assassin's Creed games are on Game Pass, but we feel Odyssey is the best of them since transitioning into RPGs. Historically, this is the earliest game in the timeline, though that doesn't matter much since there are only loose threads connecting the games at this point. What does matter is how vast and enjoyable a world this is to explore. It isn't quite as bloated as Valhalla and will get you back into the groove of parkouring, stealthing, and fighting all over again. The story here is also one of the best in the series if you have the time to go all the way with it. But even just dabbling in it so you don't get burned out before Shadows is a great way to prepare yourself.