What you need to know
- Samsung has unveiled an extended Microsoft partnership, with custom ties to the upcoming Project xCloud game streaming platform.
- Microsoft is developing a special version of its Xbox Game Pass app for Samsung devices, with additional opportunities to make in-app purchases for DLC and items.
- Samsung will also sell a dedicated "Gaming Bundle," featuring an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, coupled with the new PowerA MOGA XP5-X controller.
- The Samsung Galaxy Note20 is now available for preorder starting at $900.
Samsung has unveiled its latest flagship lineup with its August "Unpacked" event, host to the annual revision of its famed pen-paired smartphone, the Galaxy Note20. The digital conference also touched on its extended Microsoft partnership, furthering its ties with the upcoming Xbox Project xCloud game-streaming platform, targeting its Android debut on September 15.
Executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer, took to the stage to discuss Project xCloud, its game-streaming technology soon to join its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. The existing Xbox One and PC benefits extend to mobile, with over 100 curated Xbox titles scheduled for launch, streamed using the cloud to mobile devices.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 ships with specific Xbox Game Pass offerings, with an Ultimate-tier subscription included with device preorders. Samsung plans to release a dedicated Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Bundle, featuring the device alongside a three-month subscription and Note20-compatible MOGA XP5-X Bluetooth gaming controller. Preorders in the U.S. can also claim up to $150 of Samsung Credit, which the company states can be applied to the set.
Microsoft will also ship a special version of its Xbox Game Pass app for Samsung devices, as reported by The Verge. The secondary app will differ from the existing Google Play Store version, with the ability for players to purchase microtransactions and other DLC on-device. The move sees additional opportunities to purchase outside the console, seemingly avoiding the mandatory revenue share through Google's own storefront.
The announcement follows its previously-announced partnership earlier in 2020, which saw Microsoft and Samsung commit to building unique experiences with Project xCloud service on Samsung-made devices.
The Note that does it all
Samsung's Galaxy Note is always an exciting phone to look forward to, and this year, we have the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. This is a phone that has everything you could want in a 2020 flagship — such as a Snapdragon 865+ processor, 120Hz display, powerful cameras, and more. It's not a cheap phone by any means, but you certainly get what you pay for.
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