Samsung Gaming Hub · First Time Use Onboarding · Shipped to Production

The onboarding that got millions of gamers to hit play

The onboarding that got millions of gamers to hit play

Most users dropped off before they ever started a game. I redesigned the first-time experience so setup felt like the start of playing, not a hurdle before it.

ROLE

Lead Product Designer

PLATFORM

Samsung Smart TV

TIMELINE

2022–2025

Heejin Suh

About

About

About

Resume

LinkedIn

00 · Overview

What is Samsung Gaming Hub?

Samsung Gaming Hub is a cloud gaming platform built into Samsung Smart TVs. No console, no downloads. Just a TV, a controller, and access to hundreds of games through Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and Amazon Luna. It launched in 2022. I led the first-time use experience from day one.

Led FTU end-to-end across 3 years: interaction, visual design, specs

Drove cross-functional alignment across PM, engineering, and research

Grew into a strategy role: setting direction, defining interaction/visual patterns, mentoring designers

My Contribution


Click-to-play Rate

Click-to-play Rate

2x Higher

player conversion

player conversion

3x Higher

controller attach rate

controller attach rate

1.8x Higher

Project Impact


01 · Challenge

One tap to pick a game. Ten steps to actually play it.

75% of Smart TV users knew Gaming Hub existed. Only 1 in 4 of them had ever launched a game. We dug into research and found that what users expected and what they actually faced were two different things.

What users expected


Enter GamingHub

Pick a Game

Play instantly

Knowledge of Cloud Gaming

Enter GamingHub

Pick a Game

Sign up/Log into a 3rd party cloud gaming service

Pair a gaming controller to TV

Gameplay

What they actually faced



— A frustrated user, post-launch survey

“ This feels too complex,
I don’t even know where to start”

OUR HYPOTHESIS

The lack of effective first-time experience failed to turn aware users into active players.

OUR HYPOTHESIS

The lack of effective first-time experience failed to turn aware users into active players.

OUR HYPOTHESIS

The lack of effective first-time experience failed to turn aware users into active players.

The second layer



Samsung TVs had only one onboarding flow, the Out-of-the-Box Experience users went through when first setting up their TV. When we first shared our idea of onboarding for Gaming Hub, HQ was concerned a product-specific setup might break system consistency.

Although it was a fair concern, we believed Gaming Hub needed its own. Cloud gaming was a new behavior for Smart TV users, and without proper onboarding, retention would keep slipping. So we designed our hypothesis into a flow and let user validation make the case.

There was also an organizational challenge. Gaming Hub had never had its own onboarding — Samsung's OS already handled device setup, and HQ saw no precedent for a product-specific FTU. But we believed the real barrier wasn't the UI. Users weren't just unfamiliar with Gaming Hub — they were unfamiliar with cloud gaming entirely. We made the case to test it.

02 · Who we designed for

Built for gamers who expected things to just work

We focused on All-Around Enthusiasts. These are the daily console gamers who already know how cloud gaming should feel; turn on, pick a game, play. They expected Gaming Hub to work like the platforms they were already used to. Our job was to understand that expectation and design an FTU that felt familiar, seamless, and simple.

02 · Who we designed for

Built for gamers who expected things to just work

We focused on All-Around Enthusiasts. These are the daily console gamers who already know how cloud gaming should feel; turn on, pick a game, play. They expected Gaming Hub to work like the platforms they were already used to. Our job was to understand that expectation and design an FTU that felt familiar, seamless, and simple.

a group of men sitting on a couch and holding game controllers

The All-Around Enthusiast




Plays almost daily
Expects turn-on-and-play simplicity

Doesn't read tutorials

As a console gamer,
I want clear, brand-specific controller guidance so I can complete setup without guessing what to do next.


As a new user not ready to commit,
I want to understand what partner services offer so I can decide without feeling pressured mid-setup.


As a user new to cloud gaming,
I want to understand what cloud gaming actually is so I can set realistic expectations before I start.

03 · Flow exploration

Testing our assumptions before building anything.

PM initially pushed for a "free game first" approach: let users try a game before any setup, so they'd see the value right away. It made sense on paper. But instead of just going with it, we designed two flow options and put both in front of users.

03 · Flow exploration

Testing our assumptions before building anything.

PM initially pushed for a "free game first" approach: let users try a game before any setup, so they'd see the value right away. It made sense on paper. But instead of just going with it, we designed two flow options and put both in front of users.

🏷️ PM'S HYPOTHESIS

- Lead with a free trial game. Let users feel the value first. If they play before they set up, the rest of the flow feels earned.

🏷️ PM'S HYPOTHESIS

- Lead with a free trial game. Let users feel the value first. If they play before they set up, the rest of the flow feels earned.

🏷️ PM'S HYPOTHESIS

- Lead with a free trial game. Let users feel the value first. If they play before they set up, the rest of the flow feels earned.

Design POV

Three questions came up for the initial Hypothesis. These weren't questions we could answer on paper, so we built a prototype and put it in front of users.

Business/Partnership feasibility

Can we realistically offer a free top-tier game in FTU given partner subscription constraints?

Business/Partnership feasibility

Can we realistically offer a free top-tier game in FTU given partner subscription constraints?

Flow integrity

Users still need a paid subscription afterward. Would the free game just blur what's actually required?

Mental model

Would users take this as part of onboarding, or feel disoriented mid-flow?

Initial FTU Flow: Free Games during FTU (Tested)



Test Findings

4 out of 6 users wanted to see partner deals/offers over free games in the FTU process

Findings

  • Free game during FTU added confusion.

  • Users didn't know if they needed a subscription, a controller, or both before they could play


  • Dropped the free games page entirely.

  • Moved controller pairing forward as the primary onboarding step.



Pivot

04 · MVP scope

Cut what doesn't matter. Build what does.

Testing made the scope pretty obvious. We cut what was adding noise, locked in what we actually needed to build, then used that list to tighten the design goals.

04 · MVP scope

Cut what doesn't matter. Build what does.

Testing made the scope pretty obvious. We cut what was adding noise, locked in what we actually needed to build, then used that list to tighten the design goals.

FTU Scope

Free trial game inside FTU


Free trial period for all games at sign-up



Welcome screen: Value props + cloud gaming explanation



Controller pairing: brand-specific guidance




Partner sign-up page: Partner subscription/free trial info





Exit-from-console deeplink into Gaming Hub


Free trial game inside FTU


Free trial period for all games at sign-up



Welcome screen: Value props + cloud gaming explanation

Controller pairing: brand-specific guidance

Partner sign-up page: Partner subscription/free trial info

Exit-from-console deeplink into Gaming Hub

Free trial game inside FTU


Free trial period for all games at sign-up



Welcome screen: Value props + cloud gaming explanation



Controller pairing: brand-specific guidance




Partner sign-up page: Partner subscription/free trial info





Exit-from-console deeplink into Gaming Hub


With the scope finalized, we refined our design goals around what we were actually building.





With the scope finalized, we refined our design goals around what we were actually building.

GOAL 01


Build confidence in cloud gaming

Establish a clear mental model for users unfamiliar with the concept



Build confidence in cloud gaming

Establish a clear mental model for users unfamiliar with the concept

GOAL 02


Guide users through controller pairing

Contextual, step-by-step guidance users can act on immediately


Guide users through controller pairing

Contextual, step-by-step guidance users can act on immediately

GOAL 03


Drive first-session engagement

Ensure users can pick a game and play right after FTU



Drive first-session engagement

Ensure users can pick a game and play right after FTU

Adjusted Flow (MVP)

05 · Controller connect

Three tries to get one screen right.

77% of all-around enthusiasts said controller pairing was the biggest reason they didn't finish setup. It was the last thing blocking a new user from their first game, so we kept iterating until it worked.

05 · Controller connect

Three tries to get one screen right.

77% of all-around enthusiasts said controller pairing was the biggest reason they didn't finish setup. It was the last thing blocking a new user from their first game, so we kept iterating until it worked.

V1: Mobile Companion Guide (User Tested)

· Brand-specific instructions via QR → mobile





· Brand-specific step-by-step guidance users could follow in real time






Improvements

User Problem

· Users juggled phone + TV + remote + controller simultaneously

Learnings

Solved the timing problem; pairing instructions were now present when users needed them. But now they were juggling a phone, TV, remote, and controller at the same time. Prototyped and tested, but never shipped.

Auto Connect During FTU (User Tested)

· Everything on TV, no device juggling

· Seamless auto controller connect: no extra steps on the user side

· Highest success rate in user testing — "it just magically worked"

· Auto BT scanning in the background once controller enters pairing mode

Improvements

· Inconsistent Bluetooth signal across all controller brands

· Engineering built a POC to dig deeper — but couldn't make it work before our update deadline

· Pivoted to an alternate version to ship on time

· Auto-connect couldn't be guaranteed at scale

Engineer Flagged Tech Limitation

Tutorial Embedded in TV (During FTU)

Everything on TV: brand-specific, step-by-step guidance

Manual "Start Setup" button for reliable pairing across all controller brands

BT scanning triggered on user action: consistent across devices

Shipped

V0 OG Design: Passive Tutorial (Video/slideshow)

User Problems

· Passive tutorial users had to actively opt into




· Not available at the moment users actually needed to pair

· One video ran nearly 3 minutes






· Slideshow with 11 static steps — way too much to take in at once

Learnings

If the tutorial is opt-in, most people won't see it. And by the time they actually needed help pairing, it was long gone.

Learnings

If the tutorial is opt-in, most people won't see it. And by the time they actually needed help pairing, it was long gone.

V0: OG Passive Tutorial Design (Video/slideshow)

User Problems

· Passive tutorial users had to actively opt into




· Not available at the moment users actually needed to pair





· One video ran nearly 3 minutes






· Slideshow with 11 static steps — way too much to take in at once







Learnings
If the tutorial is opt-in, most people won't see it. And by the time they actually needed help pairing, it was long gone.

V1: Mobile Companion Guide (User Tested)

· Brand-specific instructions via QR → mobile





· Brand-specific step-by-step guidance users could follow in real time






Improvements

· Users juggled phone + TV + remote + controller simultaneously

User Problem

Learnings
Solved the timing problem; pairing instructions were now present when users needed them. But now they were juggling a phone, TV, remote, and controller at the same time. Prototyped and tested, but never shipped.

V2: Auto Connect During FTU (User Tested)

· Everything on TV, no device juggling

· Auto BT scanning in the background once controller enters pairing mode


· Seamless auto controller connect: no extra steps on the user side



· Highest success rate in user testing — "it just magically worked"




Improvements

Inconsistent Bluetooth signal across all controller brands

Auto-connect couldn't be guaranteed at scale


Engineering built a POC to dig deeper — but couldn't make it work before our update deadline



Pivoted to an alternate version to ship on time



Engineer Flagged Tech Limitation

V3: Final Tutorial Embedded in TV (During FTU)

Everything on TV: brand-specific, step-by-step guidance







Manual "Start Setup" button for reliable pairing across all controller brands




BT scanning triggered on user action: consistent across devices





Shipped

06 · Other touchpoints

FTU is a system, not a screen.

Controller pairing was the highest-priority blocker, but FTU only works if every screen pulls its weight. Two other touchpoints needed the same scrutiny.

06 · Other touchpoints

FTU is a system, not a screen.

Controller pairing was the highest-priority blocker, but FTU only works if every screen pulls its weight. Two other touchpoints needed the same scrutiny.

Welcome screen


Established a mental model for cloud gaming and GamingHub before users encountered any setup steps.






Established a mental model for cloud gaming and GamingHub before users encountered any setup steps.

Before

Before

After

After

BEFORE

  • A 3-slide carousel about cloud gaming, partner services, and how to start.

  • We wanted users to clearly understand the concept before setup.

  • Most users skipped through it.


  • A 3-slide carousel about cloud gaming, partner services, and how to start.

  • We wanted users to clearly understand the concept before setup.

  • Most users skipped through it.

AFTER

  • One screen with three icons and a short headline, designed to lower cognitive load before setup.

Partner sign-up



Redesigned to let users compare services and decide without feeling pressured mid-setup.







Redesigned to let users compare services and decide without feeling pressured mid-setup.

Before

Before

After

After

BEFORE

  • A pricing table comparing subscription fees, promotions, and featured games across partners.

  • Designed this way to help users to make informed deision before signing up

  • But the pricing changes too often across partners for us to maintain it reliably

AFTER

  • Game art from each partner to visually showcase the type of games on their service.

  • Users could compare based on what matters most without us commiting to pricing we can't keep accurate

07 · Impact

Shipped globally, and the numbers backed the redesign.

Service-level FTU was uncommon inside Samsung OS, and getting it approved required strong evidence. User testing built that case, and the redesign launched globally on Samsung TVs. A quarter after launch, the platform data showed user behavior had shifted across every key metric.

07 · Impact

Shipped globally, and the numbers backed the redesign.

Service-level FTU was uncommon inside Samsung OS, and getting it approved required strong evidence. User testing built that case, and the redesign launched globally on Samsung TVs. A quarter after launch, the platform data showed user behavior had shifted across every key metric.

2x higher
Click-to-play rate


2x higher
Click-to-play rate


22%

2023 Average

2024 FTU Completed

50%

14%

2023 Average

2024 FTU Completed

40%

3x higher

player conversion


3x higher

player conversion


1.8x higher
Controller attach rate


1.8x higher
Controller attach rate


4%

7%

2023 Average

2024 FTU Completed

From static subscription to a living marketplace for digital art

From static subscription to a living marketplace for digital art

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