It’s become increasingly apparent over the years that smartphone games are kind of trash unless they’re built specifically for touch. There’s just no way to replicate an analog stick or d-pad on a touch screen. To remedy that, some companies have made bluetooth gamepads for smartphones, but now major phone OEMs are getting in on it.
Samsung announced today that it will soon be launching what it calls the Smartphone GamePad. It’s a flat game controller that snaps into any Android device, but will better support Samsung devices. It also helps to serve as a mini-game console for devices, like the Galaxy S 4, that can connect to TVs through HDMI.
As previously noted, the Smartphone GamePad has been optimized for Samsung devices. For those devices, the GamePad has a few extra features, including the Play button. By installing the Mobile Console app on their Samsung device, users can then press the Play button and have instant access to all of their games. It will also list all of the GamePad-supporting titles available for purchase.
Of course, mobile gamepads are only as good as the support they receive from developers, and it looks like Samsung has lined up some pretty big partners for its launch. Here are some of the games that support the Smartphone GamePad right now:
Samsung notes that the GamePad currently supports 35 titles and that more will come in 2014. It’s currently available to purchase in European markets and will be available in “additional regions” in the coming weeks. It doesn’t say when the U.S. will get it, but we shouldn’t have to wait that long.
[h/t: DroidLife] [Image: Samsung]