We’ve heard about Samsung toying with the idea of a gamepad for some time now, but this iteration, deemed as the Samsung Smartphone Gamepad, looks quite different to the prototype version we saw at the launch of the Galaxy S4 almost 8 months ago. For those who can’t remember that far back, this is what that controller looked like:
While the general form-factor of this officially announced controller is generally the same, you can tell that Samsung has done a lot of tweaking and research into what people who play games with mobile controllers actually want. What has resulted is something that is eerily reminiscent of the MOGA Pocket controller from PowerA, but as we know from our hands on with the device, that’s not a bad thing at all.
The Gamepad will be optimized for operation with Samsung’s Android 4.3 devices, the main ones being of course the Note 3, Galaxy S4, Note 2 and Galaxy S3. It will connect to your device via Bluetooth, and will also require the use of the Mobile Console App which will have a limited number of games compatible at launch, however this list will grow over time.
The Gamepad is available now in Europe, with a gradual roll-out to other regions planned. No word on pricing, but if Samsung is to have any hope of competing with other Bluetooth game controllers which are compatible with most other phones, the Gamepad would ideally not cross the $100 USD threshold.
What do you think about the Samsung Smartphone Gamepad? Is it something you would buy? Let us know.
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Source: Samsung Tomorrow, engadget
