Samsung launched a new Virtual Gamepad mobile app some weeks ago. If you never heard of it, you're probably not alone. Unless you own a Samsung smart TV and often use it with SmartThings on your phone, chances are this new app flew under your radar.
Samsung didn't make any official announcements for this app. It was released quietly on the Google Play Store, but people could find out about it through the SmartThings mobile app, assuming they have a Samsung TV linked up. Here's all you need to know.
You can now use Gaming Hub without a physical controller
As the name suggests, Virtual Gamepad is a gaming-oriented app. Its primary purpose is to turn your smartphone into a game controller for your TV.
Using this app, you can play cloud games via Gaming Hub on your Samsung TV without having to buy a physical controller. You can turn your mobile phone into a virtual gamepad instead.
This is what it looks like by default. You have some control over the virtual button layout, but there's no light theme or other color options.
As far as your Samsung TV is concerned, the Virtual Gamepad app on your phone is like any other standard controller connected to your TV. You can use it to control games and your TV's UI.
Similar to a physical gamepad, the left virtual thumbstick and D-pad control the TV UI, while the A and B buttons work as “select” and “back” buttons — just like on a regular Xbox controller.
This means you can also use Virtual Gamepad on your phone to play smaller Tizen OS games on your TV — games you can download from the TV app store. In other words, it's not just a Gaming Hub accessory but also a TV remote and virtual controller.
If you want to give the Virtual Gamepad app a try, you can download it from Google Play. But, without a Samsung TV, there's not much you can do with it.
However, if you have a Samsung TV, you can open the SmartThings app on your phone, access your TV, and select the “Virtual Gamepad” option. It now resides under “Camera Sharing.” You'll be redirected to the Play Store to download the app on your phone. If you don't see the Virtual Gamepad option in SmartThings, make sure you're using the latest version.
Another barrier lifted for Samsung TV owners
Samsung continues to make gaming more accessible to everyone. Gaming Hub for TVs is one of the best choices for casual gamers who don't want to spend too much money or for people who have never gamed but are interested in trying this pastime activity at a low cost.
However, because Gaming Hub requires a controller to play games, this can be another barrier casual gamers with no prior gaming experience — and thus, no accessories — are facing.
This new Virtual Gamepad mobile app won't replace the tried and tested physical controller for most gamers. But it can lift this other cost barrier related to controllers. Now, Samsung TV users who want to try Gaming Hub no longer have to spend money on an accessory they may or may not use in the long run. They can try games using the Virtual Gamepad app and decide later whether they should buy a physical controller.
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