Sitting underneath my TV right now, plugged into the USB port of my PlayStation 5, is a dusty Rocksmith Real Tone cable. It's there because, despite my being in my mid-40s, I still dream of being a rock and roll guitarist, even though I rarely pick up the guitar anymore.
So Samsung's latest announcement interests me greatly.
The Korean tech giant has announced an exclusive global partnership with Fender to bring Fender Play to Samsung TVs.
It's the first time the guitar learning app has been optimised specifically for television, and it'll be available on 2025 and later Samsung TVs from the first half of 2026.
Fender Play is an online learning platform that teaches guitar (both electric and acoustic), bass and ukulele through video-based lessons. It's a structured learning system built around familiar songs, with courses organised by skill level.
The Samsung TV version includes a feature called Jam Mode, which lets you pick a background and play along with curated tracks from various genres.
Samsung describes it as turning your screen into a stage, which sounds great in theory, though I suspect the reality will be less "Madison Square Garden" and more "slightly embarrassed in your lounge room."
Samsung showed off the experience at CES 2026, demonstrating how the app works on their displays. Hun Lee, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, says the TV-based lessons fit into daily life and help players reach their goals faster.
There's obvious appeal here. Learning an instrument on a big screen is more comfortable than hunching over a laptop or squinting at a phone. The larger display means you can actually see finger positions and techniques properly, which is particularly helpful for beginners.
But I do wonder about the practical aspects. You'll need to provide your own instrument, naturally, and the app will require a Samsung account and internet connection. There's also the question of whether this will require an additional subscription beyond the app download, though Samsung hasn't clarified pricing details yet.
The partnership makes sense for both companies. Samsung continues its push to make TVs more than just passive entertainment devices, while Fender gets its learning platform in front of millions of potential students globally.
The app will be available in 49 countries across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
As someone who's attempted to (unsuccessfully) learn guitar multiple times over the years, I'm curious as to how well this might work.
The convenience of having lessons ready to go on my TV could be the push I need to finally make progress. Or it could be another forgotten resolution, joining the ranks of that gym membership I rarely use and the bread maker gathering dust in the cupboard.
Either way, if you're interested in learning guitar and already own a recent Samsung TV, it's worth keeping an eye out when the app launches.
