Samsung Electronics has entered collaborations with major global game companies like Epic Games and Krafton to develop games specifically optimized for its Galaxy Foldable smartphones. According to industry sources on October 8, Samsung Research, the advanced tech R&D arm of Samsung’s Device Experience (DX) Division, has initiated a ‘Gaming Task Force’ in four countries: South Korea, UK, China, and Ukraine. The task force’s primary goal? Accelerating the adoption rate of foldable phones through distinctive, foldable-optimized games.
Samsung Research chose countries where the gaming industry is advanced for its Gaming Task Force. Not just crafting new games, the task force is also adapting popular existing titles for the foldable format. Collaborations are already underway with other big names in gaming like NCSoft, Nexon, Smilegate, Kakao Games, and Pearl Abyss.
One might interpret Samsung’s alliances in the gaming world as a stratagem to speed up the expansion of the foldable phone market. According to market research firm TrendForce, foldable phones are expected to make up just 1.6% of all smartphone shipments this year. Samsung’s logic? More foldable-specific content like games could drive consumer demand and market growth. Games especially can leverage the large screen real estate that foldables offer.
Stakeholders within the gaming industry posit that smartphones are getting powerful enough to run high-spec games, practically anytime, anywhere. “Samsung’s collaborations will play a positive role in expanding the foldable phone market,” they said.
However, Samsung isn’t just betting on games. They’re also in discussions for specialized OS and content developments for foldable phones with Google, the gatekeeper of the Android operating system. This corroborates Samsung’s broader strategy for the foldable phone market, which they consider far from saturated. A Samsung official mentioned, “Partnerships with content companies are as crucial as relationships with carriers and retailers like Best Buy.”
With the planned launch of Samsung’s exclusive cloud gaming platform, Samsung Gaming Hub, in Q1 of next year, the company’s mobile gaming ventures are expected to gain even more momentum. The Gaming Hub will provide access to foldable-optimized games at a reduced cost, further making the case for choosing a Samsung foldable phone over a traditional gaming console or PC.
