Google TV is getting a powerful new streaming app, but there’s a catch ‣ Diverse Daily

One advantage Fire TV has long had over Google TV is its broader support for cloud gaming apps. On Fire TV, depending on your device, you can download Amazon Luna, GeForce Now, and the Xbox app. On Google TV devices, however, without sideloading anything, your only real option is GeForce Now, since Xbox, arguably the biggest cloud gaming platform, still doesn’t have a native app for Google TV.

Back at CES 2026 in January, there was renewed hope that Google TV would soon be getting the Xbox app, as TCL announced that its newest flagship TVs would be the first Google TV devices to support Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, the announcement came off as a bit strange at the time, since Microsoft had never acknowledged or confirmed it. But now, almost nine months after CES 2026, that’s finally changed.

In a recent Xbox blog post, Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox app will launch on select TCL smart TVs “in the coming months.”

Microsoft didn’t say exactly which TCL TVs would get the Xbox app first, but at CES 2026, TCL said it would initially launch on its X11 series of TVs, all of which run Google TV. That means a native Xbox app for Google TV could finally launch before the end of the year.

What about all Google TV devices?

TCL Google TVs is a start, but the wait continues

The biggest caveat here about this announcement is that while the Xbox app is finally coming to Google TV, it’s only going to be available initially on select TCL smart TVs. There’s still no word on when Microsoft will launch an Xbox app that’s available on all Google TV devices, including the Google TV Streamer, Onn’s lineup of Google TV streaming devices, and all the other smart TVs that run Google TV, such as those from Sony and Hisense.

But since it’s launching on TCL Google TVs soon, that means there will officially be a native Xbox app on Google TV. It’s just a matter of when, or even if, Microsoft releases it for all Google TV devices. Perhaps that announcement could finally be made at CES 2027.

The Xbox app first launched on Fire TV devices in July 2024, including the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and 4K Plus, so when it finally comes to Google TV, it will have been a long time coming.

If you’re unfamiliar with what the Xbox app can do, its main feature is Xbox Cloud Gaming, which lets you play games directly from the cloud on your TV without needing a console, only requiring a Bluetooth controller and an Xbox Game Pass subscription. So, if you want to play some of the latest AAA games, or older titles, on your TV without spending a fortune on an Xbox, the Xbox app lets you do that.

That said, Xbox Cloud Gaming has recently faced some controversy after Microsoft announced changes coming to the service in November that will limit the amount of time you can play games from the cloud. The cheapest Xbox Game Pass Essential subscription will be limited to 5 hours of cloud gaming per month, while Game Pass Premium will get 10 hours and Game Pass Ultimate will get 15 hours. Microsoft will also let subscribers buy additional game time, although it hasn’t said how much that additional playtime will cost.

All in all, while it’s exciting that Google TV is finally getting the Xbox app after Fire TV has had it for so long, availability will be extremely limited at first because it will be available only on select TCL smart TVs. It’s still unclear when or if it will launch on all Google TV devices. And with the changes Microsoft is making to Xbox Cloud Gaming, using the service frequently could also become much more expensive because of the new usage limits.