A free new app will start rolling out on Samsung Smart TVs today: GameBreaks. It’s a new gaming app which will feature an array of original titles that will be expanded over time. The app is launching with a brand new puzzle game today called Ripplash.
GameBreaks is the next step in an ongoing gaming push for Samsung. In 2022, the company rolled out a Samsung Gaming Hub app to select TVs that pulled together cloud streaming services like GeForce Now. It has built on that strategy over the past three years, adding Xbox Game Pass to the mix, creating its own controller, and launching original games in the form of The Six and Rivals Arena.
GameBreaks takes that push one step further by giving Samsung TVs its own original game hub that’s not so dissimilar from the New York Times’ daily puzzle model. The feature will begin rolling out on Samsung Smart TVs and monitors, from 2022 models onwards, starting today. Samsung’s Global Head of Product for Gaming and Emerging Technologies Kevin Beatty tells Digital Trends that the goal of the app is to deliver easy to play, social experiences to Samsung TV owners.
“We feel now is the right time to broaden the horizons and create approachable gameplay experiences for everyone,” Beatty tells Digital Trends. “It is gaming for all, directly on their Samsung Smart TV, using just a remote or smartphone as a controller. It is also about bringing people back to the TV to share experiences. Samsung is making games an integral part of the living room. While Samsung GameBreaks can be enjoyed solo, we are focused on making sure they encourage playing together, because we know how powerful shared moments can be. Samsung wants to ensure its Smart TVs offer more opportunities to build those core memories with friends and family.”
The first new game to join the app, alongside existing quiz game The Six, is Ripplash. It’s a visual puzzle game in which players identify a ripped up image and unscramble letters. The app will add three new puzzles each day and can be played with either a Samsung TV remote or a smartphone.
More games are set to arrive later this year, though they don’t have exact release dates quite yet. Pop Off twists Mad Libs into a trivia game, Finish Line has players filling in blanks to complete iconic phrases, and Eye-Q is a memory game where players watch a short video and then are asked questions about it. Those games are largely being developed internally at Samsung, Beatty says.
“At Samsung, our approach to game development is truly a collaborative effort,” Beatty says. “We have a talented internal team with deep roots in the gaming industry, spanning from AAA console games to casual experiences. We also partner with some of the best external studios and developers to bring fresh perspectives, ideas, and expertise to our portfolio approach to these games.”
Samsung will continue to support its Gaming Hub as it builds out GameBreaks. Beatty calls Samsung’s approach “experimental,” as it dreams up different ways it can connect to the broader gaming landscape outside of its apps. He points to a recent collaboration with Activision on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 as an example and notes that Samsung sees potential in tapping into more popular IP.
“Just like Samsung Gaming Hub continues to evolve, Samsung GameBreaks will also grow over time, offering more unique experiences for players,” Beatty says. “Beyond adding more games over time, we see a big opportunity in how our partners can integrate into these experiences. For example, Samsung partnered with Xbox for the most recent Call of Duty launch to feature themed questions in The Six, our fast-paced daily trivia game where players race to answer six questions correctly. Custom trivia tied to big cultural moments like this is fun, but it’s really just scratching the surface of where we think the future can go.”
GameBreaks will begin to rollout on 2022 to 2025 Samsung Smart TVs starting today.
