Samsung’s Game Live Android app was updated with support for the Galaxy Note 8 earlier this month, more than four months after originally launching on the Google Play Store. While the Galaxy Note 8 wasn’t yet official when Samsung introduced Game Live, most industry watchers were expecting it to ship with the phablet, though the development of support for Samsung’s newest Android flagship apparently took longer than expected. While even the leaked version of the app was later found to be working on the Galaxy Note 8, it wasn’t until last week that Samsung officially made the mobile gaming service compatible with its S Pen-equipped device. In practice, you’re now able to download Game Live to the Galaxy Note 8 directly from the Google Play Store instead of manually sideloading the app and doing the same every time a new APK version comes out.
Game Live is still restricted to supporting a single YouTube channel created alongside the main YouTube account you’re using to access the service, though Samsung acknowledged user requests for multi-channel support and implied the functionality will be expanded in the future. In the meantime, you’re still able to switch between multiple channels by changing your default channel in the YouTube channel switcher which isn’t the most elegant solution but is one that not only works in a reliable manner but is also recommended by Samsung itself. Apart from support for the Galaxy Note 8, the latest version of Game Live doesn’t appear to bring any additional features, though minor bug fixes and performance improvements are understood to be part of the package.
Game Live was originally presented as a continuation of Samsung’s efforts to support mobile gaming on Galaxy devices and a service meant to complement the Game Launcher app. The tool was primarily designed to allow streaming of various Android games through YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook without relying on other apps. Following the latest update, Game Live is compatible with Samsung’s three latest high-end offerings, having initially launched as a service exclusive to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. The upcoming Galaxy S9 series is likely to be supported by Game Live as well, though it remains to be seen whether the mobile tool will be available for the new flagship duo from day one.