Xbox Cloud Gaming Support Ends on 2020 Samsung TVs November 3: Tizen Limits and Alternatives

Windows Central's Jez Corden got the notice himself and says he owns one of these TVs. He is openly skeptical of the explanation. Below is what the email actually says, what we could and couldn't confirm, and what affected owners can do.

What Microsoft's email says​

According to the notice Windows Central quoted, "You're receiving this email because your account previously accessed the XBOX app on a 2020 Samsung Smart TV." The email then says that starting 3 November, the XBOX app will no longer be supported on 2020 Samsung Smart TVs as updates to the technology that powers XBOX Cloud Gaming are no longer compatible with the operating system version available on these models.

Microsoft also points people elsewhere: "You can continue streaming on newer Samsung Smart TVs (2021 and later), as well as across a wide range of supported devices, including PCs, smartphones, tablets and XBOX consoles."

The email leaves a lot out:

• No model numbers. It refers to "2020 Samsung Smart TVs" as a group.
• No OS version. It doesn't name the Tizen release that is no longer compatible.
• No technical detail. It doesn't say which part of the cloud gaming stack changed.
• No description of what happens on the day. "No longer supported" could mean the app disappears, refuses to launch, or stays installed without updates. Microsoft hasn't said.
• No public notice yet. We found no separate Microsoft announcement or support article confirming the cutoff. For now the date and the reason come from the email as Windows Central reported it.

In short: the email gives a date, a one-line reason and a list of other devices. Nothing more.

Xbox's own pages haven't caught up​

Microsoft's public "Xbox on TVs" page still says the app supports "select Samsung 2020 and newer Smart TVs," plus Samsung monitors from 2022 onward. It sends readers to the Samsung Gaming Hub for the list of supported devices. So the public page and the email currently disagree.

There are two likely explanations. Microsoft may simply not have updated the page yet, or the word "select" may already cover device-specific limits. Either way, don't read the current page as a promise that 2020 sets will keep working after November 3.

Is "OS compatibility" believable?​

Corden doesn't buy it. His argument is that the service is basically a web app and a video feed, and dropping it would be like Netflix or Prime Video leaving the same TVs. He goes further and speculates that it may be these devices that see the highest use out of all the third-party screens attaching to Xbox Cloud Gaming, and that cutting them off could save bandwidth.

That is his opinion, and nothing in the email supports it. There is, however, older evidence that makes Microsoft's explanation more plausible than he allows.

When the Xbox app first launched on Samsung TVs in 2022, FlatpanelsHD reported that it was limited to 2022 Samsung models with Tizen 6.5. The same outlet noted that Samsung is not updating Tizen in previous Smart TV generations so 2021 Samsung models are stuck on Tizen 6.0, 2020 models on Tizen 5.5 etc.

Samsung later extended game-streaming apps to some 2020 and 2021 sets. Its US Gaming Hub page says, and still states, that the Xbox app runs on those older models. But the basic situation hasn't changed: a 2020 TV is tied to an older Tizen release. If that's still true of these sets, a streaming client that keeps updating could eventually need platform features the old OS lacks. Microsoft hasn't confirmed this is what happened. We're only saying the explanation is plausible.

The Netflix comparison is also weaker than it sounds, going on general industry knowledge. Watching a film means receiving a pre-encoded stream and buffering well ahead. Cloud gaming has to take controller input over Bluetooth, keep round-trip latency very low, decode video in real time, handle account sign-in, and depend on platform APIs that video apps barely use. A TV can play films fine and still fall short on those things.

The reverse is true as well. Microsoft could have explained the problem in one clear sentence and chose not to. When the company avoids detail, people will fill the gap with theories.

In short: 2022 reporting that 2020 sets are stuck on an older Tizen version makes Microsoft's reason plausible. The bandwidth-saving theory is speculation. The weak communication is Microsoft's fault.

How to check whether your TV is affected​

The email says it goes to accounts that have used the Xbox app on a 2020 Samsung TV. If you have a Samsung set of about that age, check the model:

• On the Samsung remote, open Settings.
• Go to Support, then About This TV, and note the model number.
• Compare it with Samsung's list of 2020 game-streaming models: M70A, M50A, Q950ST/900ST/800T, Q95T/90T/80T/79T, Q60T, TU8500, TU8000, TU7000, LS01T, LS03T, LS03TS, LS05T and LST7T/9A.

That list comes from Samsung's page on which 2020 TVs support game streaming. It helps you identify your model. It is not a confirmed list of what Microsoft is dropping, because Microsoft hasn't published one.

Two more tips:

• Keep automatic updates on. Samsung's path is Home, then Settings, then More Settings, with automatic updates set to "On." An update won't move a 2020 set onto a newer OS generation, but it keeps whatever support is left working until the cutoff.
• Don't try to sideload. On Samsung's community forums, answers about unsupported TVs are clear that you cannot directly install the Xbox app on an unsupported TV through a USB or any other direct installation method.

Your options after November 3​

Microsoft's own suggestion amounts to "buy a newer TV or use something else." Before spending money, look at the cheaper choices:

Your region and Game Pass plan still decide what you can play. Xbox says most cloud titles need an active Game Pass subscription, with some exceptions. For the best results on TVs it recommends a wired connection or 5GHz Wi-Fi at 20Mbps.

Hourly limits arrive the same week​

The TV cutoff lands in the same week as a larger change. Windows Central linked the notice to its earlier coverage of new cloud gaming limits: Xbox Cloud Gaming grabs hourly limits from November 3. Xbox's plan page now lists monthly cloud playtime of 5 hours on Essential, 10 on Premium and 15 on Ultimate, where there used to be no cap. Windows Central separately reported that Microsoft says the caps will affect 4% of subscribers, and that paid hourly top-up passes are planned.

This doesn't read like a company that has given up on TV streaming. Windows Central reported in early September that the Xbox app is also coming to select TCL smart TVs, so Microsoft is adding TV partners while dropping support for an older generation. What the timing does show is a service being run with tighter limits than the "This is an Xbox" campaign promised when it told people their TV could replace a console.

Is this Microsoft quietly cutting costs, or a real platform limit that happened to be announced badly? The evidence supports the platform-limit reading more than the cost-cutting one. Microsoft could clear up the confusion quickly by naming the Tizen version and the models affected, and it hasn't.

Bottom line: If you own a 2020 Samsung TV, check your model now, and don't assume you need a new TV before November 3. A streaming stick that costs far less than a TV should fix the problem, but check that it's on Microsoft's supported device list first.

Update: Chromium requirements reportedly explain Samsung TV cutoff (October 5, 2026)​

According to Windows Central’s updated reporting, highlighted by Tech4Gamers on October 5, the compatibility problem involves newer Chromium APIs required by Xbox Cloud Gaming. In an October 2 update, Jez Corden said sources attributed the cutoff to missing software updates on Samsung’s 2020 Tizen TVs, with Samsung reportedly having no plans to update those sets further.

Contrary to Corden’s initial cost-cutting speculation, Windows Central now reports that its sources say Microsoft has no plans to slow its cloud-gaming efforts. The newer APIs reportedly support forthcoming features; possible improvements to streaming quality and latency remain Corden’s interpretation, not announced specifications. This supplies a more specific explanation than Microsoft’s original email, although it remains source-based reporting rather than a public technical advisory from either vendor.

For affected owners, the important implication is that waiting for a TV software update is unlikely to resolve the reported incompatibility. The new reporting points to the TV’s underlying browser components—not its ability to display video—as the obstacle to continued use of the built-in Xbox app.