Samsung to shut down PlayGalaxy Link game streaming service on March 27

Samsung quietly announced that it was shutting down its PC-to-mobile game streaming platform, PlayGalaxyLink. The announcement was so quiet that you didn’t even notice when it happened back in February.

The shutdown will take place on March 27th. However, Samsung didn’t provide much detail about why it was shutting down the service. It only noted “internal policy changes” and hoped the closure would allow the company to “more effectively focus its resources” towards new products.

While Samsung didn’t explain why it shut down the service, there are a few reasons we can ascertain. For example, Samsung announced at its Galaxy S20 reveal event that it was teaming up with Microsoft on a game streaming service. Again, details are sparse, but it could have something to do with Microsoft’s xCloud service. Plus, that partnership could have lead to the shutdown of PlayGalaxy Link.

Another possibility is that Samsung felt PlayGalaxy couldn’t stand up to competitors like Valve’s Steam Link app. Interestingly, a recently released Samsung gamepad accessory notes that it supports Steam Link, but doesn’t mention the company’s PlayGalaxy Link service.

Regardless of what the reason is, PlayGalaxy Link will soon be dead. Hopefully you weren’t relying on the service to play your games. If you were, there are several other options — such as the aforementioned Steam Link — that you can try instead.

While it remains unclear what Samsung and Microsoft are working on, here’s hoping that it has something to do with the Redmond, Washington-based company’s xCloud service. Samsung and Microsoft have been working closely together for a while now, and it would make sense for the Windows-maker to partner with the South Korean company for the launch of xCloud.

Source: PlayGalaxy Link Via: Engadget