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Tech Friday, March 15th 2013 at 3:05 pm

Samsung Assumes You’ll Want This Add-On Game Controller for the Galaxy S4

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Hey, remember buttons? They’re back! As you may have heard, the Samsung Galaxy S4 was unveiled yesterday, and you’re either rolling your eyes or anxiously awaiting the chance to purchase one, because hey, new smartphone. But the Korean multinational hopes to snag a few more customers by appealing to the video game demographic with a bonus prototype they’ve showed off along with the S4 itself. It’s a cradle/game controller that clamps onto the phone, connects wirelessly — even though it’s right there touching it — and looks more than a little an Xbox 360 controller. All you need are some triple-A batteries.

It’s not out yet, nor does it have a price, nor even a name. It’s just there to tease. If you’re into that sort of thing and want a side of buttons with your helping of eye-tracking technology. Of course, once clamped together, the whole contraption looks rather old-fashioned. Why not take it a step further and just channel 1988 already?

There’ll be an arcade app to go with it, along with a slew of games, and it’s assumed to be coming out sometime this summer.

Personally, I find it amusing that the add-on doubles the size of the device, because we’re typically touting the slim, pocket-sized quality of each new device. Modern man loves to miniaturize things, then make them bigger again, then shrink them down a bit…on and on in an endless cycle. The iPad did the same thing with the iPad mini, which is almost back to being a smart phone. Like those Note II “phablets.”

Basically, it’s like what Kellogg’s did with Frosted Mini-Wheats Big Bite. You’re silly, mankind. Make up your mind!

We like our gadgets like we like our cereal.

(via Eurogamer, images courtesy handheldempire.com, Engadget, and kelloggs,com)

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  • http://geekvariety.tumblr.com/ GeekVariety

    The whole tone of this article is rather dismissive and almost grumpy and quite frankly I find it a bit off putting.

    I would applaud SAMSUNG for having the foresight to recognize the importance of gaming to potential customers and do something that while not completely innovative, still speaks to their commitment to produce a product that will appeal to a larger demographic and to one that is growing all the time, gamers.

    I get it if you feel like this is just a gimmick and its taking away from the iphone-ification of everything where all items must be minimalist and Bauhaus in nature, but some people, nah, lots of people will appreciate the expanded functionality in a familiar package. Some gamers HATE trying to play with flat screen “buttons” or control sticks and would rather shave their heads using a pair of tweezers pulling each hair out one by one.

    I applaud SAMSUNG for doing this and if I gave a shit about phones at all (which I don’t and don’t own one) as a gamer I would be super excited about this because it would mean, in theory, that gaming would be easier on this device making the entire experience more fun and enjoyable.

  • xboxing

    Kids version of the xbox controller?

  • Anonymous

    I rooted my phone just to use a PS 3 controller. Mock the concept all you want but a lot of us like this. You can turn your Android device into a mini playstation if you know what you are doing.