- Xbox is bringing its app to select TCL Smart TVs across more than 25 countries.
- Game Pass cloud gaming gets varying monthly time limits in November based on its tier.
- Extra cloud hours will cost more, meaning skipping the console could still come with additional gaming costs.
Xbox is pushing its games onto more screens with a new partnership with TCL, but there is an awkward catch hiding behind the convenience. Select TCL Smart TVs will soon get the Xbox app, allowing owners to stream supported Xbox games without buying the console.
If you own a compatible TCL Smart TV, playing the supported console games without buying the hardware sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? But the real question is: how many cloud gaming hours do you actually get once Xbox starts monthly limits in November?
The Xbox TCL partnership will arrive in the coming months across more than 25 countries. Well, the requirements are very basic. You will need a supported television, an Xbox controller, and cloud gaming access through the Xbox Game Pass or separately purchased cloud playtime.
The shift also comes alongside other efforts to make Xbox ownership more flexible by introducing a way to convert Xbox discs into digital games.
So, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on an Xbox Series X/S. While casual gamers can use their TCL TV to access Xbox cloud gaming, Game Pass subscribers can tap into a library of supported games. Their saves, achievements, friends list, and other Xbox ecosystem features will follow accordingly.
Now, the interesting part starts in November 2026, as Xbox is introducing monthly cloud gaming limits across its Game Pass tiers. Essential users will receive 5 hours, Premium subscribers will get 10 hours, while Ultimate users will receive 15 hours of cloud playtime.
Once those hours run out, subscribers and non-subscribers will be able to purchase additional cloud gaming time through the Xbox Store. However, the pricing for these extra hours hasn’t been revealed yet.
This makes the Xbox TCL deal a little bit complicated. Although the hardware barrier is disappearing, a limited playtime barrier is arriving for players relying entirely on cloud streaming.
The partnership highlights Xbox’s shift toward a multi-device ecosystem. Yet, a few caveats limit players’ true freedom to ditch consoles entirely.
