Samsung debuts Smartphone GamePad

Samsung recently debuted an official gamepad for its flagship lineup of Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Designed to work with with screens ranging from 4 to 6.3 inches, the GamePad will initially be available in Europe before hitting other markets.

According to Brad Linder of Liliputing, Samsung’s GamePad will work with at least 35 popular titles straight out of the box including Asphalt 8: Airborne, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Modern Combat 4, and Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame.

Key features? Bluetooth and NFC capabilities, rechargeable battery, an 8-way D-pad, two analog sticks, four action buttons, two shoulder buttons, start, select and play buttons.

“Samsung says the system should support any device running Android 4.1 and later, but the Smartphone GamePad is optimized for Samsung devices running Android 4.3 or later,” Linder explained.

“Among other reasons, that’s because Samsung’s phones and tablets include ‘AllShare’ screen mirroring software which lets you stream content from your phone to your TV without wires, which means you can use the GamePad to turn your phone into a living room game console.”