Guide to the Galaxy #3: Game Launcher 3.0 Takes Mobile Gaming to Another Level

These days, for many of us, smartphones have become our go-to choice when it comes to consuming entertainment. That’s why, when designing the Galaxy S9 and S9+, Samsung prioritized enhancements that would allow the devices to take mobile entertainment to the next level – encompassing not just visuals and audio, but mobile gaming as well.

As a result, in addition to boasting AKG-tuned stereo speakers and an even more immersive Infinity Display, Samsung’s latest flagships feature a Game Launcher app that is more convenient and efficient than ever. Let’s examine exactly how users can utilize the upgraded app to streamline gaming sessions.

A One-Stop Gaming Hub

Before we discuss how Samsung has ‘leveled up’ Game Launcher, let’s take a moment to explore some of the app’s most convenient features.

Game Launcher is essentially a one-stop hub for all things mobile gaming, featuring tools designed to help users get the most out of their gaming experience. Included among these are the abilities to turn off notifications, lock navigation buttons, and mute games’ sound. The app also enables users to easily record videos and capture in-game screenshots, and features modes to boost performance and save power.

Users can enable Game Launcher by accessing Settings > Advanced Features > Games > Game Launcher and tapping the toggle switch, or via the guide page that appears during the start-up of a game. Downloaded games are automatically placed in an icon format in the Game Launcher app in a 4-by-4 arrangement, which also makes it easy to discover exciting new games to add to your collection. (More on that in just a moment.)

Putting Gamers in Control

Housed in the app as well as in the games themselves, Game Launcher’s customizable tools allow you to specify exactly how you’d like your phone to behave when you’re gaming. This makes it easier for users to immerse themselves in the on-screen action.

As soon as users open the app, they’re presented with a pair of icons near the bottom of the screen that enable them to mute games’ sound and toggle Game Launcher’s various performance modes. The latter function includes options to place the device in either ‘High performance’, ‘Normal performance’ or ‘Power saving’ mode, and has been enhanced for the Galaxy S9 with machine learning to foster more efficient gameplay.

Once users begin playing, they’re presented with a wide array of additional features and settings in the form of the Game Tools menu. Accessible via the circular gamepad icon that appears in the Navigation Bar when a game is launched, the menu conveniently places many of Game Launcher’s signature, immersion-enhancing features at users’ fingertips – including controls to hide alerts, lock buttons to prevent accidental touches, and manage several of the other functions outlined above. The Navigation buttons can also be locked to prevent any accidental taps when gaming.

Game Launcher’s latest update has added a few new functions to the Game Tools menu that make it even easier for users to focus on their game. Users may also opt to disable their phone’s auto brightness feature as well as block Bixby during gameplay.

Tailored Recommendations

To make it easier for users to find games they’re sure to love, Game Launcher also includes “Discover More Games”, an advanced game discovery feature, which offers recommendations based on the user’s gameplay history and personal preferences.

Accessible with a simple swipe up from the app’s main screen, the feature conveniently compiles popular and engrossing games that the user may be interested in, with 100-120 featured games highlighted each week for users. If users are unable to find the right game from the featured game selections, the Game Launcher discover page also allows users to search and discover the library of over thousands of games.

Each entry in the various lists from “Discover More Games” is accompanied by a short clip* of in-game action. Once users tap the game, they’ll be led to a comprehensive page that includes a gameplay video, as well as insight into the game’s popularity, related games, and a link to download the game from the Google Play Store.

Also featured in the rundowns are tags* classifying each game’s content and themes into various categories. Tapping a tag will instantly pull up a list of games that share that trait. To make it easy for users to find their next favorite game, Game Launcher’s advanced search function includes support for both keyword and tag-based searches, and even allows you to search for multiple tags at once.

Lastly, to offer users greater insight into their gaming habits, Game Launcher also features a My Games function, which is accessible with a tap of the avatar to the left of the search icon. This handy feature neatly displays your favorite tags and genres of games, compiles in-game video recordings, and makes it easy to keep track of exactly how much you’ve played in a given timeframe.

Open up the Galaxy S9’s enhanced Game Launcher now to take your mobile gaming experience to the next level.

*Availability may vary by region.