GameSir quietly launched version 5.0 of its GameHub Android application, a hybrid gaming frontend with the ability to install Steam games via translation layer, not unlike Winlator or Gamenative. GameHub aims to be your phone’s, well, gaming hub. It lets you launch native Android games, emulators, streaming apps like GeForce Now, other launchers like Emulation Station, and so on.
The headline feature, however, is the deep Steam integration. Users can directly download Steam games, change the configuration of each game, sync their saves with Steam’s servers and even choose which Proton compatibility layer to launch games with.
While most of the exciting software developments seem to come from hobbyists collaborating and sharing source, GameSir has chosen to take the proprietary route with GameHub. Presumably this strategy allows for tighter integration with their own controller line up, as well as keeping their name associated with the cutting edge of mobile gaming, but it is worth noting. If GameSir aims to achieve an ecosystem approach to mobile gaming, could a GameSir-designed handheld be on the horizon?
Ultimately, while some users may wary of the proprietary ecosystem and closed source code, it will be performance that determines if it will earn a place on our devices. Already, a number of users are reporting performance gains in modern AAA titles like Witcher 3 and Yakuza Kiwami. Feature additions, quality updates, and performance gains not only bolster the workings of GameSir’s ecosystem business model, but reframe the question of a dedicated handheld from “if” to “when”.
Will you be checking out GameHub 5.0? Let us know your experience in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
Source: GameHub
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