Friction Reduction for Growth: Cloud Gaming on Smart TVs
Casual games highlighted as free, instant, and remote-playable, making Gaming Hub more accessible to non-core gamers and reducing controller dependency.
Designed for casual users, The Six used familiar formats like trivia to lower barriers and enable instant, no-controller gameplay making it easy for anyone to jump in and play.
Third-party controller included in select promos, improving out-of-box usability and supporting broader adoption without altering core packaging.
Focus:
Product Innovation | Platform Leverage | Embedded Opportunity
Approach:
Mixed | Generative | Exploratory
Methods:
Concept Testing | Behavioral Analysis | Diary Study
Challenge:
After launch, Gaming Hub under-engaged players who weren’t using controllers. COVID-era remote testing missed hardware setup issues. We needed to find adoption barriers and make Gaming Hub accessible to a wider audience.
Process:
I led a staged mixed-methods plan: first, in-home ethnography with core and casual gamers to surface setup friction; then controller-setup lab studies to confirm blockers, clarify casual-user expectations, and pinpoint engagement and monetization opportunities.
Impact:
We redesigned the controller setup flow and launched the GameBreaks app with free, remote-playable TV games to lower the entry barrier. We also introduced Samsung Original Games, including The Six. I was the sole researcher and ran end-to-end usability for The Six and other originals. While a bundled controller wasn’t approved, we secured a third-party promo partnership to include controllers in select offers, improving accessibility and broadening appeal.
GameBreaks launched on Samsung Smart TVs on June 18, 2025 with original titles like Ripplash; The Six secured 4 brand sponsors in its first six months.
Industry recognition: The Six won a Shorty Award for CTV/OTT (17th Annual). It was also a finalist in Technology and Other Platform, and entered in Creative Use of Technology and Interactive Content. Samsung Ads later highlighted the game’s success at the Telly Awards in 2025.