Samsung is getting serious about gaming peripherals, starting with this controller

It looks like Samsung is finally getting serious about gaming with the reveal of a new officially licensed wireless controller for use with the Samsung Gaming Hub.

Named the Replay controller, the design of this gamepad will look eerily familiar to anyone who has ever picked up an Xbox Wireless Controller. There are some key differences here, however, like the alluring Midnight Blue color scheme or the ability to use it as a regular TV remote. 

In addition to all of the inputs that you would find on a standard gamepad, the Replay controller features volume control buttons on its d-pad, a TV power button, and two programmable back buttons. 

Rather than a convetional console, it's designed specifically for the Samsung Gaming Hub - a game streaming platform that comes loaded on some Samsung products. It includes a range of cloud streaming apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna, and Nvidia GeForce Now allowing users to stream games over the internet without the need for a download.

The controller uses a Bluetooth wireless connection and will be compatible with a range of Samsung smart TVs, Samsung monitors, and the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen projector. As a Bluetooth device, it's also likely to work with some mobile phones although exact compatibility in this area has yet to be officially confirmed.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Replay controller is the fact that it's being manufactured by the gaming peripheral giant PDP. The company has a great track record when it comes to creating high quality controllers at affordable prices, so I’m optimistic that this is going to be a pretty solid product - even if the market for the accessory is likely to be quite small.

This isn’t all Samsung has up its sleeve, however, as it is set to reveal a new 'Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub' program at CES 2024 according to a recent press release. The Replay controller is part of this program but it will also see the company collaborating with various other accessory manufacturers to create a whole range of Samsung Gaming Hub compatible products.

Anything that is a part of the program will display a prominent 'Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub' label that Samsung says “designates that product has been tested for compatibility, quality, performance, safety and security on Samsung devices.”

If you're interesting in more gaming products, see our guides to the best gaming TVs and the best monitors for Xbox Series X or best monitors for PS5.