Samsung’s new cloud service lets you play games without downloading them

6 hours ago 1

Samsung

Samsung has a new way for Galaxy users to play games. The device manufacturer has been working on getting into the gaming space for a couple years, and its latest venture is a free mobile gaming platform that’ll let you stream Android games through the cloud on a Galaxy device.

The program entered beta last year in the Gaming Hub, and is now available to the public. There will be 23 games available at launch, including Monopoly Go, Candy Crush Saga, and Honor of Kings.

My first question when I saw the news: What is this for? Downloading mobile games isn’t usually taxing on a device the way a large AAA game might be on a console or PC. Most people also have a mobile device they can play games on, which is very different than not having a gaming PC or console. But there’s a couple ways this tech could be used. If you don’t have enough storage space on your smartphone (very possible considering few phones these days come with expandable storage), you can stream a game instead of playing it locally. This will be a boon as games get bigger.

Samsung says that this is its way to keep up with streaming in other industries. The logic is that if you can stream your favorite TV shows instantly, why not be able to do so with games?

“Unlike other cloud services, there is no content gated behind a paywall and no monthly subscriptions for users to access these games via our cloud streaming tech,” Jong Woo, Samsung head of game services, said to GamesIndustry.biz.

But then I saw this quote in a press release about the announcement: “Our cloud gaming platform offers the ability for publishers to significantly increase their top-of-funnel conversion rates for their user acquisition campaigns by seamlessly converting an ad click directly into first gameplay, eliminating the need to drive users to an app store to download and install,” Woo said.

So, the technology will also be appealing to Android mobile game developers who want more people to play their games. Samsung’s developer page says that cloud streaming can be used to bring players right into a game if they click on an ad instead of ushering them to the app store link first. So keep that in mind if you accidentally click an ad.

Samsung entered the app-based gaming space with its Gaming Hub, which is available on Samsung smart TVs. It also launched some exclusive games that didn’t require a controller. This new feature lets you play full Android games instead of just small Samsung-approved ones.

Carli Velocci

Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…

CES 2024: Your Samsung TV is getting its own video game controller

The PDP Replay Controller Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub.

Samsung Gaming Hub is a feature on newer Samsung TVs that gathers cloud gaming apps like Amazon Luna and Xbox Game Pass all into one place. Ahead of CES 2024, Samsung revealed that it's going a step further and starting up a "Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub" program that relates to gaming accessories directly made for the service.

The first product that will bear this name is a new controller from PDP. Called the Replay Wireless Controller, this "Midnight Blue" device looks similar to an Xbox controller, but features a home button that can immediately launch Samsung Gaming Hub, as well as volume and power buttons for the TV.

This new retro console will let you play Nintendo 64 games in 4K

Controller port on the Nintendo 64.

The Analogue 3D is a new piece of hardware that will be able to play Nintendo 64 games in 4K. It's scheduled to launch sometime in 2024.
The Analogue 3D is being made by the same company that made the Analogue Pocket, an aftermarket gaming handheld that could natively play cartridges from retro gaming handhelds. The Analogue 3D will do the same for Nintendo 64 cartridges, allowing people to place the Nintendo 64 games they own in it to play them at up to a 4K resolution without the need for emulation. It will also have "original display modes" that target the look specific cathode-ray tubes would have given.
The website for the Analogue 3D reveals a bit more information and confirms that it will have its own OS and wireless Bluetooth support. A controller for the Analogue 3D is also teased on the website, although the console will have "original-style controller ports" that will presumably let people plug their own Nintendo 64 controllers in. Analogue also promises compatibility with cartridges from every region, so those who manage to pick one up don't have to worry about anything being region-locked, unlike with an actual Nintendo 64.
Although the Analogue Pocket eventually got support for handhelds like the Game Gear and Atari Lynx, it seems like the Analogue 3D will only be compatible with Nintendo 64 games for the time being. Its design has not been fully unveiled yet either, with an image only showing one side of the console.
The Analogue 3D is not available for preorder yet, although it does have a 2024 release window.

You don’t need an Xbox Series X to play Starfield. Here’s how

Key art for Starfield.

Starfield is the highest-profile Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S game since Halo Infinite, but the game isn't locked to those two consoles. Thanks to cloud gaming and Microsoft's more open-ended mentality of making its games available on a wide variety of platforms, you don't have to own one of Microsoft's current-gen systems or have the Xbox app installed on your PC.
No, it's not on PS5 or Nintendo Switch, but if you want to play Starfield while it's at the center of the video game industry zeitgeist, here are some places where it's playable other than the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series X, and Xbox PC app.
Steam

The most obvious choice if you want to play Starfield elsewhere is to pick it up on Steam. While Microsoft does have a proprietary PC launcher of its own, Microsoft now consistently releases its own games through Valve's launcher. Bethesda joined Xbox Game Studios in 2021 and has a long history of making its games available on Steam as well, so it's not too surprising that Starfield is available on the platform.
Starfield already proving quite popular on the platform too, having peaked at 266,000 concurrent players, according to SteamDB at the time I'm writing this. If you're looking for a way to play Starfield natively on the hardware you own without using a Microsoft platform or service, this is your best option. It'll run on Steam Deck too, although that's not the only way to experience Starfield on the go.
Xbox Game Pass app on Android

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