Yahoo Finance Samsung launches cloud gaming service to rival Apple
Korean smartphone maker Samsung has launched a new cloud gaming service in a bid to rival Apple's Arcade.
Samsung has partnered with Finnish gaming company Hatch, a subsidiary of Angry Birds maker Rovio Entertainment, to offer a library of 100 online games that its customers can stream on their smartphones.
The free cloud-based service includes games from the Angry Birds franchise and adventure games like Monument Valley and Adventure Chronicles.
The gaming features will be included in Samsung's S10 5G devices, which are set to launch this summer in the UK, and will be advertised in the Galaxy App Store.
The service will be available from Friday for users in Korea, but there is no launch date yet for the remainder of Samsung's key markets.
The subscription will be free for Samsung users for the first three months, and then cost 6,900 Korean Won (£4.60).
For Rovio this partnership could come as a lifeline, after its chief executive Kati Levoranta said it was going to cut its share in Hatch to below 50pc and seek external funding following a lacklustre financial performance last year.
Neither company has confirmed whether Samsung has taken a stake in Hatch as part of this partnership deal.
With this launch Samsung has joined the ranks of technology giants jostling to break into the $140bn gaming market with cloud offerings.
This launch comes weeks after major rival Apple announced a similar cloud gaming subscription service called Apple Arcade, which will offer its own titles and is downloadable on any device.
Meanwhile Google has already launched into gaming with its Google Stadia cloud gaming service, which allows users to stream and play high resolution games to Chrome browsers, Pixel devices and TVs equipped with Google’s Chromecast dongle.
Samsung is searching for new ways to incentivise customers to upgrade after issuing a surprise profit warning last month, amid falling prices for LCD screens and semi-conductors.
Last month the company also launched several devices including a folding phone which doubles as a tablet and will be released this month.
