How does Xbox Game Pass work?

[johannes_silent]

I recently subscribed to Xbox Ultimate Game Pass as part of my Telus plan. Unfortunately, I can't get anything to work and I am still unclear what I have subscribed to.

Some people (including some Telus suppor peoplet) have communicated to me that I don't need a console for this and it basically "streams" to my Telus box (so long as I have the Android box). In essence, it's similar to xbox.com/play but for your Telus box. But other people have said that it's just basically an Xbox membership and you definitely need an Xbox console to get anything to run. (In which case I'm a bit perplexed at what the Xbox Gamepass app for iOS actually does but that might be my own ignorance).

Anyway, if anyone knows the answer to this and would be kind enough to share their insights, it would be greatly appreciated.

[A-B]

Hello. Technically, if you have a compatible TV or PC, you don't need a physical Xbox console to play Game Pass games (Google can provide a lot of info and support, FAQ's etc. about Game Pass itself). Of course if you already do have an Xbox console, you're good to go. Our webpage with more info about it is here or you can call our team at 1-888-811-2323 and they can walk you through all of the options.

[johannes_silent]

Hi, thanks for the response. I've spoken with Telus 7 times (that's not a joke; literally 7 times). The tech support team are giving me conflicting advice on whether the Telus box will play Xbox games. I have the Telus Telustv-21t box, which is the Android box which some tech support staff said should work with Xbox. Can you confirm that this box is Xbox compatible? 

[A-B]

Our Optik boxes themselves don't have the ability to play Game Pass games through them, as in using them as a defacto Xbox console.

[johannes_silent]

Ok and that extends to the Android model (Telus Telustv-21t) as well, is that correct?

[Nighthawk]

That would extend to the TelusTV-21T set top boxes as well. Microsoft has not released an Xbox app for the AndroidTV platform yet. As per Microsoft's website, the only supported smart devices are 2021 and 2022 Samsung TVs. Another page on their site outlines supported ways to access the service. For Android it mentions standard Android not AndroidTV. Chrome / Edge / Explorer aren't available on AndroidTV either so loading Xbox.com through a supported browser also would not be possible.