Samsung has introduced a certification program called Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub to enhance its smart TV game-streaming ecosystem. The program allows third-party accessory makers to receive an official designation for their gear, with the first licensed gamepad from PDP now available for pre-order. Products that work with Samsung on the program will add a “Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub” badge to their products, signifying compatibility, quality, performance, safety, and security on Samsung devices.
The program is intended to provide the best possible game streaming experience on Samsung Gaming Hub, regardless of the supported Samsung device players choose. However, if you already own a Bluetooth gamepad that works with Samsung Gaming Hub, you should be fine sticking with that, unless you specifically want dedicated shortcut buttons.
Samsung Gaming Hub supports various game streaming services, including Xbox Game Pass, GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, Boosteroid, Blacknut, Utomik, and Antstream Arcade, as well as content streaming from Spotify, Twitch, and YouTube. The first hardware partner product with certification is the PDP Replay Wireless Controller, offering up to 40 hours of battery life with a low-latency Bluetooth connection for up to 30 feet away. It also features a dedicated button to launch the Samsung Gaming Hub, as well as TV power and volume buttons.
The PDP Replay is available for pre-order on PDP’s website, with plans for Amazon and Best Buy to sell it later. The announcement comes ahead of CES 2024 in Las Vegas.
