Samsung is no stranger to the tablet business, and they were one of the first companies to bring Android to a tablet. Back then, the original Galaxy Tab was a 7.0-inch tablet with a resolution of 1024 x 600, their latest tablet, the Galaxy View is a much larger affair. With an 18.4-inch display and a resolution of 1920 x 1080, the Galaxy View is practically a portable TV. Samsung has been marketing the View as an excellent content consumption device with TV and on demand service featured heavily in ads. Content also means playing games and with their latest release to the Play Store, it looks like that’s just what Samsung want you to do with it.
The S Console Gamepad, despite it’s interesting name, is a simple app that turns any compatible smartphone into a Bluetooth controller for the Galaxy View. We say compatible, because only Samsung smartphones can even download the S Console Gamepad, unsurprisingly. This is a little disappointing, as there will be plenty of users with a different brand of smartphone that will be looking at such a large tablet. Either way, Samsung says that the S Console Gamepad need only connect to the Galaxy View over Bluetooth and it will work with hundreds of popular games. What makes this an interesting option for Galaxy View owners is that there are a number of different controller templates, that not only look different but feature more or less buttons and different placements, allowing users to experiment with things.
The Galaxy View was never going to be a tablet that would please everyone, but for those looking for a large display to take with them no matter where they go, it’s a good option to consider. Singling out users that don’t also have a Samsung smartphone by foregoing this feature is disappointing, but it’s not all that surprising given the company’s track record with things like this. If you do have a Galaxy View as well as a compatible Samsung smartphone, then you can do ahead and download the app from the Play Store here.
