There is no reason for this to exist. You can already just use your phone with similar controllers, except designed by someone who has actually played a video game before.
this post was submitted on 12 Mar 2025
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The reason for this to exist is for a phone + controller combo to be pocketable. Even the most compact add-ons like Razer Kishi are not exactly that. This should be somewhat similar but integrated for the weirdos that want it.
PSP, Gameboy, 3DS, etc. all very pocketable without trying to reinvent the entire wheel like this goofy thing. And I suspect either the phone or the gameing aspect of this will be severely neglected as a result.
That said though, if anyone is going to make a folding screen handheld (phonsole?), Samsung is probably the best one to do it considering their history with folding phones.
Agreed, I own a bunch of older handhelds with better form factors and large libraries of games. I tried to give gaming on iOS a go and it’s fine but the catalogue is still to small if you don’t want to touch gachas. I think this thing might be for people who play those though.
I would walk around with a kishi shoved up my ass for storage before I would try playing a platformer using that d-pad.
I mean, it's a prototype. Its a pretty cool concept in my opinion.
I have no trust in Samsung, I'm confident the reliability will be bad and it won't be easy to repair.
and I am absolutely here for it
Can we please banish this idiotic phrase from the internet?
Oh fuck off. Let people talk however they like.
no u
As someone who owns a Fold, do not buy this thing.
Why? Also a fold owner
The screen will still eventually fail once the screen protector eventually fails.
The physics behind the screen failing is due to the screen itself interacting with a detaching screen protector that forces the screen into a herringbone pattern. Unless you get lucky to carefully avoid this from happening, once the screen is in this shape, the crease that kills it is inevitable as the screen tries to straighten out to fold back closed. Because this thin film screen protector is still a requirement of these flexible screens, the moment they begin to detach and you're past warrantee, your device is soon to be a fancy paper weight unless you want to connect it to another monitor for the rest of its lifetime.
Unless you're expecting to replace the device after the warrantee runs out and the screen fails once again, it's still doomed from the start.
Post warrantee screen replacement for this device is still $600+. Samsung has not reduced the price on their flexible OLED screens even though these devices have existed and been sold to consumers for years now.
I still have my Flip 3, and the protector on it fell off years ago. Yeah, it's pretty scratched, but it still works great.
Ah lucky, did the entire screen protector detach all in one go? The biggest concern here is if it happens to partially detach only along the middle folding part, while remaining completely attached across the flat parts of the screen.
It started in the middle, actually. Eventually I got sick of it and just took it off.
If that is the case, then I wonder if that (as ridiculous as it sounds) might actually be a good preventative measure. At least for when the thing begins detaching from the middle. Do you use yours with a stylus? Does the stylus tip damage the unprotected screen any?
I don't think the Flip or Fold models support a stylus, but I imagine it would be hard on it.
Don't know about the flips, but the folds do. And only on the flexible interior screens despite them also having a regular hard external screen. The screen protector on the flexible screen is the source of all of my problems, which makes me wonder if the stylus would scratch the screen without that screen protector.
Idk, I've had the fold 4 for since launch, took the internal protector off as soon as it started peeling in the center and it's been absolutely fine. I use my stylus rarely unfortunately but it hasn't obviously scratched the screen at all (I am a bit ocd about those things and would have likely noticed)
I had the fold 2 before that and similarly took the screen protector off within a few months and didn't run into what you're describing either. I DID have the hinge break where it wouldn't open flat anymore but that was absolutely from my dropping it onto cement lol. When I swapped it for the 4 they still gave me the good condition value.
Nice, sounds like removing that screen protector is the move. Which makes me wonder why they put it on there if it only causes problems later.
I've seen one of those folding phones IRL, and it seemed to have a big visible crease running right down the middle of the screen, which I could also see in this video. It looked annoying enough for a phone, I can't imagine how bad it would be for a gaming device. Plus as others have said, that button layout is horrendous.
I had a folding phone (Fold4). Once a video was playing the fold wasn't as noticeable as long as you looked at it straight on. From an angle, the fold was annoying.
The worst part about the phone was that it was uncomfortable to hold when folded or not, it was cumbersome, and finding a good case for it was nearly impossible.
I would rather carry something like my Deck in a case than save a little space with a folding device. Those folding screens are also very shiny and super sensitive. You can scratch those screens with your finger nails.
Yeah same here, my Deck in its case easily fits into a backpack, I think it's portable enough. At a certain point you can only make things smaller by cutting essential stuff I think.
I like the concept, but nothing except the folding screen is interesting here.
It's true that this is one of the few places where folding the device actually may make some sense, given how long it is otherwise. But unless we're talking about a folding Steam Deck or something very similar, the Samsung-ness of it all would make the end product very mediocre.
If it's going to run android, it'll do as well as the Oyua. Those face buttons look like they'll be awful to press
Worst thing about the Ouya was the controllers. Android today already has more and better games available than were available on the Ouya back then.
Now, if it were to go full walled-garden Samsung app store? Samsung is better at picking apps(and getting them to play-along) than Ouya was by far, but I still think you're 100% correct in that scenario.
Wish they’d stop building these to bend in, and build them to curve out on the edges. Let me attach it to my forearm, and then flatten it out when removed for something more intensive.
Would love a smartwatch/phone hybrid. Better yet, give me a screenless brick I can put in my bag or pocket to handle non-display tasks in order to slim down the wearable.
All I can think is that's gonna look like sandpaper after a month. It would scratch so easily.
Moreso than current smartwatches, or phones going in and out of people’s bags & pockets all day?
Yup, flexible screens are super soft and get damaged really easily.
Yes. Foldable screens don't use the same kind of glass that non-foldable screens are made of. It's much softer, and so it scratches more easily. I have a foldable phone without a screen protector, and the part of the phone my fingers touch, as well as the hinge, are noticably courser and covered in scratches.
Kinda cool design element with the holes
I like the concept but folding screens add to much expense. at leas for now.
It could be the best gadget in Earth and I still wouldn't buy anything made by Samsung.
Their reputation is awful. Appliances and their televisions.
Just bring back actual flip phones... jfc.