Zeo

Not to be confused with Namco X Capcom 2: Zeo.

The Samsung Zeo was an eight-generation video game console developed by Samsung. It was Samsung's first game console (not counting the Nuon, which was co-developed by other manufacturers) and the first game console made by a major Korean company. The Zeo serves as a competitor to the three major game consoles of the eighth generation: Sony's PlayStation 4, Microsoft's Xbox ONE, and Nintendo's Wii U, and later on, the Switch.

Developed by Samsung as far back as 2009, the Zeo was first announced in E3 2012 as Samsung's first full-fledged foray into the console gaming market. The Zeo was eventually released in April 30, 2013 for South Korea, July 23, 2013 for North America, October 16, 2013 for Japan (where it is distributed by Sharp Corporation) and January 9, 2014 for PAL territories. In 2016, Samsung released an improved update to the consoles, the Zeo Plus, which, among other improvements, includes support for 4K UltraHD.

On May 2, 2020, in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic hampering the global economy, as well as the Zeo's waning popularity compared to the other game consoles in the maker, Samsung announced that they are discontinuing support for the Zeo, and with it, a formal exit from the game console industry, in order to focus on their other products.

Console
A typical Zeo console is roughly the size of a slim PlayStation 2 console. The console features a disc slot for the discs, with the eject button beside it, four blue LED indicators for checking the controllers' connectivicity status and a large power button. Four USB slots are also included for USB devices, with two more included in the back.

The Zeo has a built-in camera, known as the Z-Eye, which is capable of sensing motions done by the player. The motion-sensing camera control scheme can be used in some games such as in the pack-in game Z-Eye Family Fitness Series: ZeoLympics! Outside of motion control, the camera also has its other uses, such as capturing photos, recording and streaming video (a feature tailor-made for Lets Players) and face detection login for Samsung PLAY services.

Controller
The controllers for the Zeo are wireless and use Bluetooth technology to connect to the console. The controller resembles a Sega Saturn controller and features four face buttons (labelled P, L, A and Y, clockwise from the left), a circular directional pad, two analog sticks below the d-pad and the face buttons, respectively, five utility buttons (Mode, Start, Back, Forward and Zeo (Home Menu) buttons), four shoulder buttons, with two triggers and two bumpers on both sides (labelled L+, L-, R+ and R-) and the power button and USB port on the very top. The Zeo button will change color as the battery runs out, starting out blue and changing colors to red if the controller's battery is running low.

The Zeo controllers use a lithium-ion battery similar to those seen in cellular phones and portable game consoles. The console comes with a battery charger for the controller's batteries. USB cords can also be plugged in these controlers, allowing for classic, wired gameplay, while also charging the controller itself.

Media/Distribution
Similar to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox ONE, the Zeo uses Blu-Rays for its games. Alternatively, games can be downloaded thru Wi-Fi connection using Samsung Apps PLAY, a PSN/Xbox Live-like internet service which serves as the Zeo's primary online store and multiplayer service. Credits for the PLAY Marketplace are presented as "PLAY points", and can be funded using a bank account or Samsung PLAY top-up cards, which are only available in certain countries.

Games
Main Article: List of Zeo games (incomplete)

The Zeo boasts a wide variety of games available for its system, including first-party exclusives published by Samsung's gaming division, Zeo Studios, as well as third-party titles, both excusives and multi-platforms, from various third-party developers.

Non-Gaming Capabilities
The Zeo comes with support for various streaming sites such as YouTube, Spotify and various others. The console also includes a built-in internet browser: a specially made version of Google Chrome with all of the features of the PC versions ported over to the Zeo. Social media networks like Facebook and Twitter are also supported by the Zeo. The Zeo Plus model introduces support for more streaming sites such as Netflix.

Aside from featuring downloadable games, the Samsung PLAY Marketplace also allows players to buy movies and albums and download to them onto the system using PLAY Points. Major film companies and record labels have expressed their support for the Samsung PLAY Marketeplace.

Offline, the Zeo is capaple of Blu-Ray movie playback, and also features support for various MTP formats such as MP3 and MP4. Some games, such as Ring of Honor: Unchained 2017, have in-game features that utilize said MTP formats. The Zeo Plus model introduces support for UltraHD Blu-Ray.

Statistics
Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics, Sharp Corporation (Japan)

Type: Video game console (eighth generation)

Storage Memory: Hard drive; 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 1.5TB (exclusive to Zeo Plus)

Release Date: April 30, 2013 (KOR), July 23, 2013 (NA), October 16, 2013 (JP), January 9, 2014 (EU), August 17, 2016 (WW; Zeo Plus)

Discontinued: May 2, 2020 (WW)

Media: Blu-Ray, UltraHD Blu-Ray (Zeo Plus), Digital download

Internet Service: Samsung Apps PLAY