Samsung today unveiled its vision for its next generation of smart TVs, which will incorporate everything from cloud-based gaming services to video chat while watching TV to even NFTs, ahead of the formal start of CES. The company claims that its 2022 Smart TVs will include a new “Smart Hub” that will allow customers to switch between different types of entertainment, such as media, gaming (via its new Gaming Hub), and “ambient” — the latter referring to the TV’s ability to display art, photos, or other information when it is not in use.
The Samsung Gaming Hub, a Tizen-powered game streaming discovery tool, will be the most noticeable feature of the new TVs for gamers. Using this technology, game streaming services will be able to deliver their game library right to the TV. Samsung announced agreements with Nvidia GeForce NOW, Google Stadia, and Utomik today, and claims more will be revealed in the future.
Samsung TV owners will be able to explore available titles, search and purchase games, and plays their favorites right away from the hub. Their gaming controllers will also be compatible with the new Gaming Hub, according to the business. Users may also simply access YouTube, where they can watch the game video by following their favorite streams. Select 4K and 8K TVs and gaming monitors will support the new HDR10+ GAMING standard in 2022, providing an HDR gaming experience with reduced latency, variable refresh rate, and a refresh rate of over 120 Hz.
According to the firm, this experience includes automatic HDR calibration, which eliminates the need for manual calibration of settings across input types including as consoles, PCs, and more. The Neo QLED family, starting with the Q70 TV series and above, as well as Samsung gaming monitors, all supported. Samsung’s new Gaming Hub will be available through the main navigation menu under the Gaming, Media, and Lifestyle categories later in 2022.
Samsung is not the first company to bring cloud gaming to smart TVs. Last year, LG announced that GeForce NOW, as well as Google Stadia, will be available on its WebOS smart TVs. Google Stadia operates on a variety of supported smart TVs, including those from LG, Hisense, TCL, Philips, and others. Amazon’s Luna runs on its Fire TVs, and Google Stadia runs on a variety of supported smart TVs, including those from LG, Hisense, TCL, Philips, and others. As an alternative, you may also use streaming devices to get access to these services. Aside from gaming, Samsung’s 2022 Smart TVs will embrace other trends that have gained traction in the last year or two, such as co-watching TV and movies with friends and buying and trading NFTs.
While under COVID-19 lockdowns and other limitations in the early days of the epidemic, family and friends sought for other methods to interact and spend time together. This resulted in an increase in co-watching services and features, which allow users to stream entertainment with their loved ones at the same time. Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, among others, have announced co-viewing services that allow individuals in various regions to watch the same movie or show at the same time.
Apple just released SharePlay through FaceTime, which supports Disney+ as well as other streaming applications such as NBA, Paramount+, Showtime, Apple TV+, and TikTok, among others. Instead, Samsung has created its own “Watch Together” software, which allows family and friends to video chat while watching a TV show or movie on their TV.
