Samsung Invests Millions In A Company That Lets You Play Android Games On Your TV

Samsung has invested in BlueStacks, the company that makes an Android gaming console for TVs called GamePop.

The funding is through Samsung's investment group Samsung Ventures. Neither company disclosed how much Samsung invested, but we've heard it's in the millions. The total round of funding is $13 million. VC firm Andreessen-Horowitz, Qualcomm, and Intel have also invested in BlueStacks.

GamePop lets you play Android games on your TV. It's a dongle that you plug directly into your TV's HDMI port, just like Google's Chromecast. The console is free, but you have to pay $6.99 per month to play the 500 preinstalled Android games. However, the device is still in its early stages and only available in limited quantities.

TechCrunch gave it a pretty bad review in March, but a new model is coming soon, BlueStacks says.

Android consoles became buzzy two years ago after a company called Ouya raised a whopping $8.6 million on Kickstarter to bring Android games to the television. But the Ouya ended up being a disappointment once it finally launched.

Amazon is testing the Android TV gaming space too with its new Fire TV set-top box. It comes with an optional video game controller that lets you play select Android games on your TV.