Samsung unveiled new televisions, monitors, and other hardware at CES 2026. The company also announced a refresh of its Mobile Gaming Hub for smartphones. Jong Woo, vice president of Game Services at Samsung, discussed the update in an interview with Engadget. He stated that the changes provide more personalized and faster ways to play games, with greater emphasis on upcoming titles.
The refreshed hub is now available on Galaxy smartphones and tablets, with additional updates planned. Samsung positions the hub as an active space for the latest mobile games. It includes instant play options through cloud-streaming technology. This allows users to try Android-native games without downloading them first, reducing friction in the process.
“We believe that gamers want to find new content that is personalized to them,” said Woo, vice president of Samsung Game Services. “We want to bring content to users and make it immediately available for them to play. We have instant plays that, through our cloud‑streaming technology, let us take Android‑native games and put them in the cloud so that when users want to try them they don’t have to go through the friction of downloading them first.”
Samsung reports that the Mobile Gaming Hub has over 160 million users across smartphones and other devices. Woo noted that mobile game discovery remains problematic despite the large library of games across genres. “Mobile game discovery is broken,” he said.
Previously, the hub served as a supplemental app for tracking purchased games. The update now consolidates all games bought from Google Play and the Galaxy Store into one location. Users can view their owned games, receive personalized recommendations, access cloud streaming for select titles, and watch highlights from content creators.
The hub aims to personalize and guide the mobile gaming experience. Woo explained that Samsung gathered feedback from users to identify pain points. “We’re getting a lot of feedback from the users, and what we’re finding is that we believe we’re solving pain points for mobile gamers,” he said. The company analyzes individual gamer preferences to deliver tailored recommendations.
The refresh also seeks to build a community for mobile gamers and developers. Features include sharing YouTube videos and content from gaming creators and streamers. Samsung plans to introduce more social elements. Woo highlighted the solitary nature of mobile gaming: “Mobile is a very personal experience, right? It’s your personal device, and oftentimes when you play games on mobile it feels like a solitary experience.”
The revamped Mobile Gaming Hub is currently exclusive to Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Users on non-Galaxy devices continue to access the previous version. Samsung’s effort addresses gaps compared to established platforms like Steam and PlayStation Network on PC and consoles. Mobile hubs often function primarily as gateways to games, serving a vast user base but lacking deeper engagement features.
