The CES 2022 may be a diminished affair now that several big names such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and others have pulled out and preferred to go online. But that has not stopped the tech event from progressing and living up to its reputation as the most influential consumer tech event in the world.
Ahead of this year’s CES (which is once again affected by the pandemic), Samsung announced its newest smart TVs. These MICRO LED, Neo QLED, and Lifestyle TVs are as cool as they come and sport several interesting features (one of them is allowing users to discover, purchase, and trade in NFTs).
Coming with a 144Hz variable refresh rate, the TVs will hopefully come with image and sound quality improvements, but are surely a boon for individuals who prefer to play games on TVs. Cloud and console gaming got a huge boost as Samsung’s latest smart TVs bring Google Stadia, Utomik, and Nvidia GeForce Now under the same roof.
That’s right, they will be available on select 2022 models as part of Samsung’s new “Gaming Hub.” However, Samsung made it clear that the three services will not come preinstalled on the Hub. We also do not know whether the Hub will be available on the older TVs or not.
“Samsung’s 2022 Smart TVs come with a new Smart Hub that puts content curation and discovery front and center with their viewing preferences. The new Smart Hub will guide users to their favorite content or help them discover something new all while spending less time searching. The Smart Hub’s sidebar also allows for a seamless transition between categories – Media, Game (Gaming Hub) and Ambient – letting users focus on various in-home activities,” Samsung said.
According to Samsung, the Gaming Hub will empower players to “discover and jump into the games they love faster through game streaming services. Players will have access to an extensive library of games through Samsung’s partnerships with industry leaders – NVIDIA GeForce Now, Stadia and Utomik – and that’s just the beginning.”
It will support HDMI-connected consoles, with “passthrough” support for controller inputs – including Xbox and PlayStation controllers, and users will be able to use them with cloud gaming services as well. The Hub will also give users access to YouTube Gaming to follow streamers. Users will be able to pair third-party controllers to the TV for instant play, no console or other hardware is required.
The company will also be adding more services during the year. For now, it is working with its partners to bring its best levels of service to its platform and will unveil further details as the launch gets closer.
