Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 could be the near-perfect gaming phone. Is it a traditional gaming phone? No. It’s not marketed as a gaming phone. Not like the ASUS ROG Phone II. It is, however, marketed as a high-end smartphone with gaming-specific features and hardware. Samsung is keen on delivering a stellar mobile gaming experience with this device, and it wants the world to know it.
There are more than a few reasons to choose the Galaxy Note 10 if you love gaming, too, and it’s not just for mobile games.
The Hardware Is Powerful
Every year high-end devices become more powerful. Companies continue to push the envelope by using whatever the next best hardware is. It’s no different this year with the Galaxy Note 10, and that’s where becoming a near-perfect gaming phone begins. Samsung is using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor inside of this device, which is more than capable of handling next-gen mobile gaming.
It’s not the 855+, which would have had some more gaming-specific features to improve the overall experience, but it’ll do just fine. Samsung has also packed the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ with 8GB and 12GB of RAM respectively. This might seem like overkill, but it will come in handy with all of the phone’s gaming capabilities. Especially for some of the more demanding gaming methods.
A big display helps too. The Note series has always been known for its big screens, and the Galaxy Note 10+ is the biggest any Note has ever had. The Note 10 is no slouch either offering consumers a 6.3-inch panel to work with while gaming.
Perhaps the biggest gaming-related piece of hardware though, is the way the device cools down during performance-heavy content. The Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ come equipped with a vapor chamber cooling system. According to Samsung it’s the world’s slimmest. That’s more of a brag though. The vapor chamber in general is the impressive part.
Gaming phones like the Razer Phone 2 offer vapor chambers, and they’ve become a popular way to cool down a device’s CPU and GPU. When things start getting hot and heavy in a game like Call of Duty Mobile, every bit of cooling helps. The vapor chamber should be able to efficiently keep the device cool so the CPU and GPU are able to run optimally. And if they can run optimally, performance shouldn’t take a hit meaning a better gaming experience for the user.
Game Streaming Made Possible With PlayGalaxy Link
Samsung didn’t just outfit the Galaxy Note 10 series with enough powerful hardware to handle mobile games. The PlayGalaxy Link app is making sure of that. This is basically Steam Link for the Note 10 and Note 10+ but in Samsung’s own fashion. It’s powered by Parsec’s GamePlay Live service technology and it’s scheduled to launch in the first half of September.
Though users will need to have a PC to link the app and phone to, in doing so you will be able to stream PC games to your Galaxy Note 10 or Note 10+. Now this sort of feature isn’t specific to Samsung’s phones. As mentioned, Steam Link is more or less the same thing and it works with just about any Android device.
The difference may be in how well PlayGalaxy Link handles the action of streaming games from your PC compared to something like Steam Link. Since PlayGalaxy Link may work on both cellular and Wi-Fi it might be a better option. Steam Link will need to be connected to your home Wi-Fi router, so there’s no option to play on the go. This in itself could make PlayGalaxy Link a more powerful game streaming tool, if mobile internet supports it.
Discord Integration Means Easier In-Game Chat
As part of Samsung’s Unpacked event or the Galaxy Note 10 series launch, Samsung announced an official partnership with Discord. This partnership will introduce Discord integration with Samsung’s Game Launcher app. Because Discord will be integrated into Game Launcher, users can communicate with their Discord friends directly from it without having to leave the game. This means you won’t have to have the actual Discord app running in the background.
Instead, you can lessen the drain on the CPU by running all your Discord communication from the game. Chat heads will be overlayed on top of the game UI too. This should make everything feel seamless and easily accessible. Since Discord is also the number one gamer communication platform, this is a pretty big advantage. This won’t be just for Galaxy Note 10 users but it will have initial exclusivity.
The Rumored Microsoft – Samsung Gaming Partnership
Prior to the Unpacked event and the official Galaxy Note 10 reveal, a rumor suggested that Microsoft and Samsung have a gaming partnership. The rumor, states that the partnership will allow Xbox One games to be played on the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. A source familiar with the details mentioned that some Xbox One games would be downloadable to the device, while others would be accessible through streaming.
It was further detailed that the streaming games would work in a way that was similar to Google’s upcoming Stadia service. This would suggest that it was in reference to Microsoft’s xCloud service, which it demoed at E3 2019 working on an Android device. There is still no confirmation that the two companies are working together in this capacity, but they do have a partnership they announced at Unpacked focused on more accessible computing.
With everything else that the Galaxy Note 10 already offers in the way of gaming, Xbox One games would be a nice little cherry on top.
S Pen Motion Controls For Gaming?
Right now, the motion controls for the S Pen are just for a few key apps and functions. YouTube and streaming music apps can use it for skipping back and forth and adjusting volume. The camera app can use them for switching between cameras as well as zooming in and out.
Samsung also announced that the motion controls SDK would be opened up to developers immediately. This gives mobile game developers the opportunity to work this feature into their games. One game in particular springs to mind. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
Just imagine opening up the game and being able to use the S Pen for some of its wand-related actions. Like casting spells, for example. This hasn’t been integrated, but it’s surely possible with the SDK being open. Other games would fit this feature perfectly too. Fishing games could allow players to flick the S Pen like a rod as if they’re casting out a line. The possibilities are certainly niche, as S Pen motion controls might not feel natural in many games.
It would be an interesting way to play some games though. It would also be a feature that would make playing them on the Galaxy Note 10 more fun than on other devices. All it takes is some imagination to utilize them in exciting ways, and it could make games feel more immersive.
The Galaxy Note 10 doesn’t come with special RGB lighting. There’s no over the top exhaust vents or sharp lines. Think Acer’s lineup of ‘Predator’ mobile devices. It doesn’t look like a gaming phone, but it can perform like one. That’s the ticket. Samsung has jam-packed the Galaxy Note 10 with gaming functionality. All without limiting it to anyone who likes the look of gaming hardware. It’s probably not perfect, but, it could be near-perfect.
If you’re into mobile gaming, and gaming in general, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 may be the solution for your next device.