Samsung Gamepad: an accessory for fans to play and ... fly
I cannot count myself among the hardcore mobile gamers, but sometimes I really want to play something spectacular on a smartphone. For example, when the lights are turned off, or when the Internet suddenly disappears. Even at night there is absolutely nothing to do on the train, while the snore of the neighbors in the compartment prevents them from falling asleep. It is in this case that the “time killer” in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S4 with several toys comes to my rescue. Usually these are different versions of Angry Birds, as well as Asphalt 7 and 8 races. I would have enjoyed playing different shooters, but I have the following feature: virtual (i.e., displayed on the smartphone screen) sticks and buttons are very difficult to press using fingers.
Any Asphalt, where the main part of the control is assigned to the accelerometer, is not a question. But if this is a shooter, where you need to go back and forth, and even look around - no, no longer rolls. I can play for 15 minutes (and even then not too successfully: due to the low reaction rate caused by the need to drive my fingers across the screen without feedback, I am quickly “felled”), and then my hands get tired and the game process ends solemnly. I will not hide: in connection with the above situation, I was very happy when I learned that Samsung announced an accessory called Gamepad - this is such a joystick for smartphones running Android. Well, when I managed to find it on sale in Ukraine for less than $ 100 - fortunately there was no limit. Of course, I bought this thing and drove it well. Now I share my impressions.
')
The first and, in my opinion, very important. If the Galaxy Gear family of watches is compatible exclusively with Samsung smartphones, in the case of its gamepad, the Korean manufacturer demonstrates the wonders of democracy. In the Samsung Gamepad reviews, this moment is mentioned extremely rarely, but the fact remains: the joystick works quite well for itself with devices from other brands. For example, I managed to play with it on an 8-core Highscreen Thor : I ran Asphalt 8, everything works fine, and the settings were set automatically - and exactly the same as on SGS4.
Highscreen Thor secured to Samsung Gamepad
With Dead Trigger 2 is more difficult: the game reported (see screen below) that it discovered the joystick and offered to set it up.
It seemed to be possible to configure the gamepad with the Highscreen Thor case, but some buttons in the game itself did not work for reasons unknown to me. In general, I personally do not guarantee the performance of absolutely all toys on devices from other manufacturers. But something on some models may go. So if you have a device not from Samsung, but you really want to buy this accessory, I recommend to put as many toys as possible and go to the store to test. And if everything is OK with your favorite titles, you can take it.
So, to the question of compatibility. To prevent users from having a mess with versions of toys and their performance, Samsung offers to download them to their devices from a special section of the Samsung Apps store using the S Console application.
There are collected versions of games that are specifically optimized for the Samsung Gamepad. But here the situation is twofold: first, as seen on the occasion of Highscreen Thor, some games from Google Play are already sharpened under the joysticks. Only they need to be customized by yourself (which takes a couple of minutes), while the versions from Samsung Apps will be configured initially. Secondly, the collection of optimized games in Samsung Apps is not very big yet - only 54 pieces. Very much no fresh titles: Real Racing 2 (and not 3), Dead Trigger (that is, only the first part).
Thirdly, Samsung Apps is known for two unpleasant features. The first is the low download speed of applications from there. (At least, in the case of Ukraine.) For example, a Sonic CD game in non-private 260 MB was downloaded from there to SGS4 for an hour (!). For comparison: Dead Trigger 2 (460 MB) downloaded to Highscreen Thor from Google Play in 5 minutes. The second feature of Samsung Apps, which also cannot be classified as pleasant, is the low update rate of toys. I remember that Asphalt 8 in Google Play has already managed to upgrade to version 1.0.2 in its time, and in Samsung Apps it was still offered in version 1.0.0.
On the other hand, sometimes Samsung Apps has advantages: for example, the game Critical Missions SWAT costs 20 hryvnias in it, and on Google Play it is more than 40. I read on the Internet that some games in the “joystick” section of Samsung Apps are offered for money, while on Google Play they are available for free. Well I do not know. I checked 25 pieces and did not meet such a situation.
SWAT Critical Missions on Google Play and Samsung Apps
All this is what I’m talking about: if you already bought the Samsung Gamepad, then you can safely experiment and download toys, from anywhere - both from the company’s catalog and from Google Play. This thing does not limit you in choosing a source, which, in my opinion, is good.
As for convenience. Played on the Samsung Galaxy S4 in Asphalt 8 with a joystick. Honestly, I didn’t catch a buzz: the controls in this game are so simple that a bunch of “touch screen + accelerometer” seems to me to be much more convenient in this case.
Downloaded from Samsung Apps game Dead Trigger. There is no limit to delight: at last I was able not only to pass the “100 meters” and fill up 5 zombies, but to complete several missions. The same applies to Dead Trigger 2, which is not in Samsung Apps and which had to be downloaded from Google Play.
Dead trigger 2
Well, here's the Sonic CD. Also much more convenient than with a touchscreen. I would even say "at times."
Sonic cd
Finally - something about the characteristics of the Samsung Gamepad. The location and purpose of the keys can be explored here in this picture:
The joystick is tied to a smartphone via Bluetooth, and the NFC interface is used to speed up the process. The device can have a diagonal from 4 to 6.3 inches - a larger copy simply does not fit into the “holder”, which moves out behind the joystick. The latter, by the way, has rubber inserts in places of contact with the body of the smartphone - so that the latter does not scratch. You need to charge the Samsung Gamepad about once every 5 hours.
Yes, and one more important point: during the game, the smartphone does not have to be fixed to the Gamepad at all. This means that the device can be connected via MHL / HDMI to a TV or monitor and use the accessory as a wireless joystick.
In general, I am pleased with the acquisition and I can sincerely recommend the Samsung Gamepad to those who can not manage in shooters and other similar games with a touchscreen. You will definitely get pleasure by paying a not too large amount.
PS Not so long ago I bought myself a Parrot Ar drone. Drone 2.0 Power Edition. Wonderful thing, only I manage it from the touchscreen, again, it turns out average.
Parrot Ar. Drone 2.0 Power Edition
And even worse than in games: there you at least look at the screen and see virtual sticks, and here you have to sort of look at the sky and watch the drone. Because of this control from the display, I even had crashes and sudden crashes a couple of times.
So, the Samsung Gamepad can even be adapted to control the Parrot Ar. Drone 2.0 Power Edition - though not with the help of a proprietary application from Parrot, but through third-party developments. Here is the interface of the program ARDrone Flight Pro for 40 hryvnia from Google Play: you click on the buttons on the joystick - and the corresponding keys obediently move on the screen. Testing has shown that everything works fine, the convenience of managing the drone has increased significantly.
ARDrone Flight Pro
So if you like to play on your smartphone, and even bought / plan to buy Parrot Ar. Drone 2.0, the Samsung joystick is a Mast-Hev for you.
Any Asphalt, where the main part of the control is assigned to the accelerometer, is not a question. But if this is a shooter, where you need to go back and forth, and even look around - no, no longer rolls. I can play for 15 minutes (and even then not too successfully: due to the low reaction rate caused by the need to drive my fingers across the screen without feedback, I am quickly “felled”), and then my hands get tired and the game process ends solemnly. I will not hide: in connection with the above situation, I was very happy when I learned that Samsung announced an accessory called Gamepad - this is such a joystick for smartphones running Android. Well, when I managed to find it on sale in Ukraine for less than $ 100 - fortunately there was no limit. Of course, I bought this thing and drove it well. Now I share my impressions.
')
The first and, in my opinion, very important. If the Galaxy Gear family of watches is compatible exclusively with Samsung smartphones, in the case of its gamepad, the Korean manufacturer demonstrates the wonders of democracy. In the Samsung Gamepad reviews, this moment is mentioned extremely rarely, but the fact remains: the joystick works quite well for itself with devices from other brands. For example, I managed to play with it on an 8-core Highscreen Thor : I ran Asphalt 8, everything works fine, and the settings were set automatically - and exactly the same as on SGS4.
Highscreen Thor secured to Samsung Gamepad
With Dead Trigger 2 is more difficult: the game reported (see screen below) that it discovered the joystick and offered to set it up.
It seemed to be possible to configure the gamepad with the Highscreen Thor case, but some buttons in the game itself did not work for reasons unknown to me. In general, I personally do not guarantee the performance of absolutely all toys on devices from other manufacturers. But something on some models may go. So if you have a device not from Samsung, but you really want to buy this accessory, I recommend to put as many toys as possible and go to the store to test. And if everything is OK with your favorite titles, you can take it.
So, to the question of compatibility. To prevent users from having a mess with versions of toys and their performance, Samsung offers to download them to their devices from a special section of the Samsung Apps store using the S Console application.
There are collected versions of games that are specifically optimized for the Samsung Gamepad. But here the situation is twofold: first, as seen on the occasion of Highscreen Thor, some games from Google Play are already sharpened under the joysticks. Only they need to be customized by yourself (which takes a couple of minutes), while the versions from Samsung Apps will be configured initially. Secondly, the collection of optimized games in Samsung Apps is not very big yet - only 54 pieces. Very much no fresh titles: Real Racing 2 (and not 3), Dead Trigger (that is, only the first part).
Thirdly, Samsung Apps is known for two unpleasant features. The first is the low download speed of applications from there. (At least, in the case of Ukraine.) For example, a Sonic CD game in non-private 260 MB was downloaded from there to SGS4 for an hour (!). For comparison: Dead Trigger 2 (460 MB) downloaded to Highscreen Thor from Google Play in 5 minutes. The second feature of Samsung Apps, which also cannot be classified as pleasant, is the low update rate of toys. I remember that Asphalt 8 in Google Play has already managed to upgrade to version 1.0.2 in its time, and in Samsung Apps it was still offered in version 1.0.0.
On the other hand, sometimes Samsung Apps has advantages: for example, the game Critical Missions SWAT costs 20 hryvnias in it, and on Google Play it is more than 40. I read on the Internet that some games in the “joystick” section of Samsung Apps are offered for money, while on Google Play they are available for free. Well I do not know. I checked 25 pieces and did not meet such a situation.
SWAT Critical Missions on Google Play and Samsung Apps
All this is what I’m talking about: if you already bought the Samsung Gamepad, then you can safely experiment and download toys, from anywhere - both from the company’s catalog and from Google Play. This thing does not limit you in choosing a source, which, in my opinion, is good.
As for convenience. Played on the Samsung Galaxy S4 in Asphalt 8 with a joystick. Honestly, I didn’t catch a buzz: the controls in this game are so simple that a bunch of “touch screen + accelerometer” seems to me to be much more convenient in this case.
Downloaded from Samsung Apps game Dead Trigger. There is no limit to delight: at last I was able not only to pass the “100 meters” and fill up 5 zombies, but to complete several missions. The same applies to Dead Trigger 2, which is not in Samsung Apps and which had to be downloaded from Google Play.
Dead trigger 2
Well, here's the Sonic CD. Also much more convenient than with a touchscreen. I would even say "at times."
Sonic cd
Finally - something about the characteristics of the Samsung Gamepad. The location and purpose of the keys can be explored here in this picture:
The joystick is tied to a smartphone via Bluetooth, and the NFC interface is used to speed up the process. The device can have a diagonal from 4 to 6.3 inches - a larger copy simply does not fit into the “holder”, which moves out behind the joystick. The latter, by the way, has rubber inserts in places of contact with the body of the smartphone - so that the latter does not scratch. You need to charge the Samsung Gamepad about once every 5 hours.
Yes, and one more important point: during the game, the smartphone does not have to be fixed to the Gamepad at all. This means that the device can be connected via MHL / HDMI to a TV or monitor and use the accessory as a wireless joystick.
In general, I am pleased with the acquisition and I can sincerely recommend the Samsung Gamepad to those who can not manage in shooters and other similar games with a touchscreen. You will definitely get pleasure by paying a not too large amount.
PS Not so long ago I bought myself a Parrot Ar drone. Drone 2.0 Power Edition. Wonderful thing, only I manage it from the touchscreen, again, it turns out average.
Parrot Ar. Drone 2.0 Power Edition
And even worse than in games: there you at least look at the screen and see virtual sticks, and here you have to sort of look at the sky and watch the drone. Because of this control from the display, I even had crashes and sudden crashes a couple of times.
So, the Samsung Gamepad can even be adapted to control the Parrot Ar. Drone 2.0 Power Edition - though not with the help of a proprietary application from Parrot, but through third-party developments. Here is the interface of the program ARDrone Flight Pro for 40 hryvnia from Google Play: you click on the buttons on the joystick - and the corresponding keys obediently move on the screen. Testing has shown that everything works fine, the convenience of managing the drone has increased significantly.
ARDrone Flight Pro
So if you like to play on your smartphone, and even bought / plan to buy Parrot Ar. Drone 2.0, the Samsung joystick is a Mast-Hev for you.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/219221/
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