Samsung patents possible rival to Apple Arcade

Samsung could be planning on launching a games subscription service to rival Apple Arcade, if a new patent is anything to go by.

As spotted by LetsGoDigital, The South Korean manufacturer filed a patent on April 23 to the US Patent and Trademark Office, titled 'PlayGalaxy Link', seeming to riff on the Galaxy range of Samsung smartphones. ('Galaxy Play' might have been simpler, although similar to 'Google Play Games'.)

The patent cites provision of "online game services, namely, online electronic games accessible through mobile devices". There's also reference to augmented reality, VR games, and "online computer game tournaments".

Of course, it's usual practice to cover all possible bases on your patent, so we may not see a service that delivers on everything stated here. We've reached out to Samsung for comment.

Apple and oranges

Apple and Samsung have a long history of fierce competition and strained cooperation, especially in the smartphone market.

And it's hard not to read the filing in light of Apple Arcade, the incoming games subscription service launching on iOS devices later this year (Fall / Autumn) across 150 territories. Apple Arcade will be an ad-free service, costing a monthly fee for access to a curated pick of 100+ App Store games.

It's no surprise to see Samsung try to limit Apple's share of the gaming market, though patents are usually filed well ahead of any product launch, and Apple Arcade will almost certainly beat Samsung to the punch. Either way, giving an equivalent service to those with Android phones – likely at a lower price point – seems like a no brainer.