The culmination of ten years of industry-leading smartphone innovations, the Galaxy S10 line places a laundry list of industry-first and best technologies at users’ fingertips that allow them to do more with their phone than they ever could before.

Our previous articles examined how the new flagship line’s groundbreaking display, camera and performance innovations raise the bar for smartphones to follow. Now, using Gameloft Barcelona’s Asphalt 9: Legends as an example, we’ll show you how the Galaxy S10+’s supercharged specs take the gaming experience to the next level.

Buckle up, folks. You’re in for a ride.

The Need for Speed

In a game like Asphalt 9: Legends, a split-second decision can mean the difference between capturing a race and crashing out of contention. That’s why it’s important that your phone’s processor is capable of handling graphics-heavy games without slowing you down with lag or frequent FPS (frames per second) drops.

Featuring up to 12GB of RAM and a next-generation application processor (which improves CPU and GPU performance by up to 29 and 37 percent, respectively),¹ the Galaxy S10+ allows you to leave the days of dealing with spotty FPS, lag, and long load times in your rearview mirror. When playing Asphalt 9: Legends, the Galaxy S10+’s high FPS rate makes details truly pop, and makes each 360-degree spin and slow-motion moment that much more enjoyable.

So whether you’re drifting through a turn or tearing down a straightaway, you can trust that the Galaxy S10+ will keep your gameplay snappy and smooth.

A Smooth Ride

The Galaxy S10+ also features a built-in, AI-based Smart Performance Adjuster that analyzes game playing patterns to make gameplay even smoother. As you’re racing down each track, it’s working to provide stable GPU and CPU performance – and eliminating frustrating peaks and valleys that could potentially slow you down.

The smartphone’s stable performance makes it abundantly clear that it’s built to handle the best mobile games that the industry has to offer. And that includes 64-bit games as well, which represent the future of mobile gaming.

In fact, the Galaxy S10 variants are the first Android devices to feature 64-bit game support. That means better battery drainage and thermal management when playing graphics-intensive games like Asphalt 9: Legends, Fortnite and other popular 64-bit titles that will be released throughout the year.

These days, nearly half of all new mobile games are created using the Unity game engine.² In order to offer users the best possible mobile gaming experience, Samsung specially optimized its newest flagships for running Unity-built games. So when you play these titles on your Galaxy S10+, you’ll be playing them in their best form.

The smartphones are able to deliver a more seamless and stable gaming experience because they’re the first mobile devices to be optimized to work with Unity’s new Adaptive Performance feature.³ Adaptive Performance support means that when playing high-performance games on your Galaxy S10 line, you’ll enjoy better battery life and smoother, faster performance – without having to worry about your phone overheating. If the game you’re playing was built using the Unity engine, Adaptive Performance will boost its overall performance by approximately 10 percent.

Keep It Cool

Just like cutting-edge supercars feature the latest and greatest in terms of engine technology, the Galaxy S10+ features hardware and software that have been optimized to support truly incredible gaming experiences.

Take, for instance, Samsung’s Vapor Chamber cooling system, which allows the Galaxy S10+ to stay cool during heavy gaming sessions. This innovative technology improves GPU efficiency, which means that 3D games are smoother and more immersive than with the Galaxy S9. So as you breeze through each course in Asphalt 9: Legends – burning rubber at one picturesque location after another – you can rest assured that your phone is designed to keep cool when the pressure’s on.

Stunning Visuals, Immersive Sound

As anyone who’s put the pedal to the virtual metal with the Asphalt series knows, when it comes to high-octane mobile racing games, it doesn’t get any better than this.

The game’s scenic courses and nitro-fueled racing mayhem look absolutely stunning on the Galaxy S10+’s 6.4-inch, high-resolution Infinity-O Display. The display’s vibrant, lifelike colors add depth and realism to everything from your supercar’s glossy contours to the game’s astoundingly detailed city- and landscapes. It’s also been optimized by Samsung to be easy on the eyes, which makes it perfect for those extended gaming sessions.

From the moment you take your mark for the start of the race to the moment you cross the finish line, the Galaxy S10+’s first-of-its-kind⁴ Dolby Atmos for Gaming technology immerses you in rich sound. Accessible in-game via the Game Tools menu, this clever innovation carefully optimizes each level of sound – from background music to sound effects – to create a well-rounded soundscape⁵ that enhances the overall gaming experience.

The results are some truly heart-pumping audio effects that ramp up your adrenaline with every turn.

Game On!

Offering easy access to over 30,000 exhilarating games and counting, the Galaxy S10 line’s built-in Game Launcher is your one-stop hub for all things mobile gaming.

The convenient app, which allows you to view all of your installed games at once, is packed with intuitive tools designed to help you get the most out of your gaming experience. These allow you to, for example, instantly mute your games’ sound before you begin to play, and make detailed adjustments to game settings in order to optimize performance or save power.

The in-game accessible Game Tools menu offers users even more ways to take their gaming experience to the next level. The handy menu includes options to disable calls and notifications while gaming – to minimize distractions – and makes it easy to snap in-game screenshots, record gameplay, lock navigation buttons, and activate the Galaxy S10+’s Dolby Atmos for Gaming mode.

To introduce users to more games they’ll love, Game Launcher also offers game recommendations based on users’ usage patterns. Each game’s in-depth rundown includes insights into how the game is trending with Galaxy users worldwide, as well as the average amount of time that users are playing.

¹ Varies by model and region.

² The Unity game engine is utilized by over 6.5 million developers, and has served as the framework for approximately 40 percent of the world’s top 1,000 most popular mobile games.

³ Adaptive Performance is slated for release in the second half of this year. Availability may vary.

⁴ On a smartphone.

⁵ Approximately 30 percent clearer than the Galaxy S9 according to Samsung Electronics’ internal tests. May vary depending on conditions.

In games where timing and accuracy are everything, the slightest changes in performance, such as unstable FPS (frames per second) rates, can mean the difference between life and death. Mobile gamers want to ensure that their device is equipped with hardware and software they can rely on.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the innovative technologies that make gaming on the Galaxy Note9 so much fun.

Smooth, Stable Performance

Many of today’s most popular mobile games place players in vast open worlds that can be wonderfully immersive, and incredibly taxing on a phone’s processor. When you’re in the midst of an epic battle or ever so close to setting a new high score, there are few things more frustrating than when an overworked processor causes a sudden drop in frame rate that leads you to lose focus or fall prey to an enemy attack.

Because a phone’s CPU and GPU performance can make or break your gaming experience, Samsung optimized the Galaxy Note9 with a cutting-edge 10-nanometer processor that handles graphics-intensive games with ease. This allows the device to provide 33 and 23 percent better CPU and GPU performance than the Galaxy Note8, helping gamers stay engaged and in the zone.

The Galaxy Note9 also features an on-device AI-based performance-adjusting algorithm that regularly monitors the device’s heat and performance, supporting up to 40 percent more stable FPS when gaming. Thanks to machine-learning technology, the device can predict a change in temperature before it occurs and adjust the CPU and GPU, before a drop in FPS occurs. That means smoother visuals and a more enjoyable experience when playing graphics-intensive games like Fortnite.

Cool Under Pressure

Playing graphics-intensive games for extended periods of time can place a great deal of strain on a phone’s CPU and GPU. To help the Galaxy Note9 perform consistently at a maximum level throughout gaming, the new cooling system needed to be faster and more efficient than previous generations.

The Galaxy Note9’s specially designed Water Carbon Cooling system allows the device to run cool throughout heavy gaming sessions. The system, which was first introduced in the Galaxy S7, utilizes changes in the phases of water to efficiently radiate heat – in a cycle where water in a porous structure absorbs heat, turns into steam, moves through pipes and eventually cools down turning back into water.

Samsung enhanced the system for the Galaxy Note9 with a heat pipe, or ‘thermal spreader’, that’s three times larger than the Galaxy Note8’s, and dissipates heat more effectively. The company also increased the system’s internal water intake to foster greater heat absorption, and incorporated an enhanced carbon fiber TIM (thermal interface material) that transfers heat from the processor to the thermal spreader with 3.5 times greater efficiency, thus boosting thermal conductivity.

Together, these innovations enable the Galaxy Note9 to run smoothly during extended gaming sessions, creating more opportunities to play the games you love.

Giving Gamers More Control

Distractions like phone call and text message notifications can be the worst when playing games on a smartphone. Game Launcher, a one-stop hub for mobile gaming on Samsung’s Galaxy Devices, is the solution to deal with such problems. Offering a range of innovative tools and features, the Game Launcher allows players to streamline and concentrate fully on their mobile gaming sessions by preventing alerts and unintended screen touch. Users can also share their gameplay using the launcher’s screenshot and video record functions.

Game Launcher has been enhanced even further for the Galaxy Note9 to let users to get more out of gaming sessions. The Galaxy Note9’s improved Game Launcher now allows users to customize performance settings for individual games. Users can specify the frame rate, resolution and battery usage level for each game in their collection, fostering a gaming experience optimized for enjoyment. In addition, a pop-up window function has been added to the launcher, allowing players to effortlessly launch certain apps – like looking for winning tips and tricks on YouTube or sharing game information online – during gameplay.

Game Launcher on the Galaxy Note9 brings games such as Fortnite, Black Desert and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds to even more fans^*. Galaxy users are also offered special discounts and in-game bonus items, such as an exclusive Galaxy Skin for Fortnite^**.

Power to the Players

The Galaxy Note9’s all-day battery is Samsung’s most powerful and reliable yet, offering users more than enough charge to enjoy hours of intense, immersive gameplay.

The battery’s 4,000mAh capacity makes it especially well-suited for graphics-intensive games, whose impressive visuals can drain a battery quite quickly. The Galaxy Note9 allows users to enjoy their games uninterrupted, without needing to constantly keep an eye on the battery’s charge level, or worry about connecting their phone to a charger to extend a gaming session.

With stereo speakers powered by AKG, the Galaxy Note9 offers players a critical edge, with the rich sounds offering mobile gamers a more immersive experience.

The Samsung Galaxy Note9’s specs and immersion-amplifying enhancements prove that Samsung’s newest flagship was designed for those who work and play hard.

^*Availability of games may vary by region.

^**The exclusive Galaxy Skin can be redeemed by following the instructions found here.

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.