diff --git a/homeassistant/components/vizio/const.py b/homeassistant/components/vizio/const.py
index 12de3af1cb0715..03caa723771576 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/vizio/const.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/vizio/const.py
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@
 DOMAIN = "vizio"
 
 COMMON_SUPPORTED_COMMANDS = (
-    MediaPlayerEntityFeature.SELECT_SOURCE
+    MediaPlayerEntityFeature.PAUSE
+    | MediaPlayerEntityFeature.PLAY
+    | MediaPlayerEntityFeature.SELECT_SOURCE
     | MediaPlayerEntityFeature.TURN_ON
     | MediaPlayerEntityFeature.TURN_OFF
     | MediaPlayerEntityFeature.VOLUME_MUTE
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/vizio/media_player.py b/homeassistant/components/vizio/media_player.py
index c19c091bb3db5a..18af2c0dbb29a7 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/vizio/media_player.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/vizio/media_player.py
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ def __init__(
         )
         self._device = device
         self._max_volume = float(device.get_max_volume())
+        self._attr_assumed_state = True
 
         # Entity class attributes that will change with each update (we only include
         # the ones that are initialized differently from the defaults)
@@ -483,3 +484,11 @@ async def async_set_volume_level(self, volume: float) -> None:
                 num = int(self._max_volume * (self._attr_volume_level - volume))
                 await self._device.vol_down(num=num, log_api_exception=False)
                 self._attr_volume_level = volume
+
+    async def async_media_play(self) -> None:
+        """Play whatever media is currently active."""
+        await self._device.play(log_api_exception=False)
+
+    async def async_media_pause(self) -> None:
+        """Pause whatever media is currently active."""
+        await self._device.pause(log_api_exception=False)
diff --git a/tests/components/vizio/test_media_player.py b/tests/components/vizio/test_media_player.py
index d5ce18eb8b9544..8cc734b9188770 100644
--- a/tests/components/vizio/test_media_player.py
+++ b/tests/components/vizio/test_media_player.py
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
     ATTR_SOUND_MODE,
     DOMAIN as MP_DOMAIN,
     SERVICE_MEDIA_NEXT_TRACK,
+    SERVICE_MEDIA_PAUSE,
+    SERVICE_MEDIA_PLAY,
     SERVICE_MEDIA_PREVIOUS_TRACK,
     SERVICE_SELECT_SOUND_MODE,
     SERVICE_SELECT_SOURCE,
@@ -443,6 +445,8 @@ async def test_services(
         "eq",
         "Music",
     )
+    await _test_service(hass, MP_DOMAIN, "play", SERVICE_MEDIA_PLAY, None)
+    await _test_service(hass, MP_DOMAIN, "pause", SERVICE_MEDIA_PAUSE, None)
 
 
 async def test_options_update(