Antstream and Blacknut Joining Samsung’s Game Streaming Offer

Antstream Arcade is the world’s largest cloud gaming service that provides players access to over 1,500 iconic games and weekly new multiplayer challenges and tournaments. Select Samsung TV owners will soon be able to battle their friends and the global community at the best games from the 80s, 90s and 00s, from Pac-Man to Mortal Kombat and Metal Slug.

“Antstream Arcade believes that combining gaming’s past with gaming’s future will push the industry forward to the next era of video games,” said Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream Arcade. “What fulfills that promise better than retro arcade games played on Samsung’s most advanced Smart TVs? Game streaming provides gamers with more opportunities to play games they love or classics they missed out on.”

With a growing catalog of 500+ premium PC and console games, Blacknut’s Cloud Gaming subscription based service offers the largest unlimited access to gaming content for TV screens. Blacknut allows a “click and play” experience, allowing up to five players to play simultaneously on any compatible smartphone, PC or Smart TV. Blacknut’s library focuses on core and casual family members, delivering a wealth of titles spanning classic AAA games, indie favorites, story-driven adventures, strategy and also the largest collection of racing and sports games. Blacknut’s members can enjoy acclaimed hits, such as Metro Exodus, Overcooked as well as a vast collection of Disney games.

“Blacknut is now bringing the largest Cloud Gaming catalog included in one subscription to Samsung, the number one game streaming destination,” said Nabil Laredj, VP, Business Development & Licensing at Blacknut. “We designed Blacknut as a family gaming platform including five player profiles that can play simultaneously. Bringing our service to Samsung devices allows more gamers to experience the future of gaming.”

Launching in 2023, both Antstream and Blacknut game streaming will become available to owners of select 2021, 2022 & 2023 Samsung TVs.

Bringing Cloud Games to Millions of 2021 Samsung Smart TV Owners

Rolling out through the end of the year, Samsung is giving more players access to game streaming through select 2021 Samsung Smart TVs. Samsung will make available individual apps from game streaming partners Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Utomik, with Blacknut and Antstream Arcade coming in 2023. By expanding the game streaming experience to select 2021 Samsung Smart TVs, existing Samsung customers will now have instant access to the same games available through the Samsung Gaming Hub on 2022 Smart TVs and Monitors.

“When Samsung Gaming Hub rolled out earlier this year on 2022 TV models, the number one question we received was ‘when is game streaming coming to my 2021 TV.’ Today we are happy to share with our eager fans that they will be able to play the games they love before the end of this year,” said Mike Lucero, Head of Product for Gaming at North America Service Business Team, Samsung Electronics. “With any leading Bluetooth-enabled gaming controller and internet connection, millions of players will be able to access an expansive library of games ranging from the best AAAs to the hottest indies and retro games directly through partner apps on select 2021 Smart TVs, making Samsung devices a preferred destination for game streaming.”

Once available, the individual gaming apps can be downloaded from the Samsung App Store via the Media Hub directly on the TV.

4K Games Available on Samsung Smart TVs via NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW

Rolling out in a few weeks, the offer will enable GeForce NOW players to stream PC games at up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second natively in 2022 and select 2021 Samsung Smart TVs without waiting for downloads, installs, patches or updates. GeForce NOW premium membership is required for an enhanced experience including 4K resolution, faster frame rates, RTX ON, priority access to NVIDIA gaming servers and extended eight-hour session lengths.²

For more details on the Samsung Gaming Hub, please visit https://www.samsung.com/tvs/gaminghub.

To learn more about the latest Samsung Gaming TV’s visit samsung.com/us/gamingtvs.

¹ Eligible 2021 models include: QN800, QN850, QN900, WS1A, QN700, LS03A, AU7000, AU8000, AU9000, Q50, Q60 & Q95-Q70.
² GeForce NOW premium membership subscription requirement may vary by countries.

According to a recent report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), there are an estimated 214 million gamers in the U.S. alone, with 75 percent of households having at least one person who plays. As a result, gaming has become a fun group activity during the pandemic, particularly for those looking to connect with others. In fact, more than six out of 10 players report that they regularly play with others either online or in person.

Gaming’s rise isn’t limited to the U.S., either. Facebook’s “Games Marketing Insights for 2021”¹ noted that last year, numbers of first-time gamers reached new highs in countries around the world with 8.6 million in the U.K., 6.5 million in Germany, and 9.4 million in South Korea. Those numbers further underscore gaming’s rise into a top leisure and entertainment activity.

Samsung TV owners are not an exception to this trend as they have also become avid gamers during the pandemic. According to Samsung’s internal research data,² the number of users in the U.S. who connected gaming devices to their QLED TV nearly doubled from 19.4 percent in March of 2020 to 35.3 percent in March of 2021. In Korea, that number nearly tripled from 11.4 percent to 27 percent during the same period.

Samsung’s 65-inch segment has been the most popular TV size for gaming, and premium models supporting high-end gaming experience, including 120Hz panel refresh rate, were more likely to be connected to the latest gaming consoles. This means that more gamers on consoles such as Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation (PS) are using premium TVs with enhanced gaming features to enjoy optimized gaming experience.

Against the backdrop of gaming’s incredible rise in popularity, Samsung optimized its 2021 TV lineup with gamers in mind. The company’s newest TVs come packed with top-of-the-line features that were designed to foster next-level gaming experiences.

For example, each of Samsung’s 2021 Neo QLED TVs includes support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro³– a technology that enables true HDR console and PC gaming. FreeSync Premium Pro adds to the HDR support, making bright scenes brighter and dark scenes darker to offer optimized contrast. HDR technology is often considered as one of the most important features among gamers. Taking things one step further, Neo QLED’s Motion Xcelerator Turbo+ technology supports ultra-smooth motion in 4K 120Hz, offering users the smoothest way to win.

Samsung’s 2021 Neo QLED TVs are also the first to receive Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker’s (VDE) Gaming TV Performance certification. Four 2021 Neo QLED models (the QN900, QN800, QN90 and QN85) received the certification for their excellent HDR performance, which includes a peak brightness of more than 1,000 nits, allowing for intricate details in both dark and bright scenes, as well as their low input lag with respond time of around 5ms in 4K @120Hz, offering one of the lowest input lags in the industry. Features like these are perfect for both first-time TV buyers and avid gamers alike, allowing users to catch each and every detail of gameplay.

The 2021 Neo QLED lineup’s one-of-a-kind gaming experience is bolstered by the addition of immersion-enhancing features like Super Ultrawide Gameview, along with the all-new Game Bar gaming interface. Super Ultrawide Gameview allows users to experience ultra-wide aspect ratios (both 21:9 and 32:9) that were previously offered only on gaming monitors. This provides gamers with a wider field of view and ensures that they never miss out on any of the action. The Game Bar in Game Mode, allowing players to easily adjust the screen’s aspect ratio, check input lag, connect wireless headsets, and more.

For more information about Samsung’s 2021 TVs and their gaming features, please visit www.samsung.com.

¹ Games Marketing Insights for 2021, Facebook Gaming (January 2021)

² Reflects internal data and findings from users who have opted in to Samsung’s Smart TV Terms and Conditions.

³ Some items excluded.