Samsung's new Gaming Hub that provides access to game streaming services and other features will not be available on 2022 LCD and OLED TVs at launch.
Update: Samsung says that the Gaming Hub will launch as planned but has declined to provide an exact timeframe: "The Samsung Gaming Hub will launch in the timeframe originally planned for. We will let people know when that is as we get closer to launch," said Mike Lucero, Director of Product Management for Gaming at Samsung.
Media, Ambient, Gaming
With its 2022 models Samsung is introducing a revamped Tizen homescreen, switching from the bottom bar to a full-screen user interface. It will be divided into three main hubs: Media, Gaming, and Ambient.
Media and Ambient will be available on Samsung 2022 TVs at launch but the Gaming Hub has been delayed, which means that you will also have to wait for game streaming services to show up on your new Samsung TV.
Samsung's new Gaming Hub on 2022 Smart TVs. Photo: Samsung
In February, Samsung Europe confirmed the delay saying that the Gaming Hub was scheduled "to launch summer 2022" through an update. At the company's launch event yesterday, the wording had changed to "later this year" with a note saying that "availability of Gaming Hub may vary by region".
FlatpanelsHD has been informed that some regions will not get the Gaming Hub so be sure to check with your local Samsung support before you buy.
- "Gaming Hub is a new game streaming discovery platform that bridges hardware and software to provide a seamless player experience. No downloads required, no storage needed. Samsung also announced partnerships with leading game streaming services — NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Stadia and Utomik, with more to come — to bring their libraries of games to the Gaming Hub. The new platform will be available later this year on select 2022 Samsung Smart TV models," said Samsung.
The company has no plans to bring the full-screen Tizen interface or the Gaming Hub to TV models from 2021 or earlier.
What can we expect from the Gaming Hub? Watch FlatpanelsHD's video from CES below.