I don’t like games cluttering up my app drawer and tend to tuck them away in a folder—or just hide them entirely! I want a dedicated space for my games, and apparently game launchers are the solution I’ve been looking for. I’ve installed one, and my days of juggling games in my app drawer are over.
Separate Games From All the Rest
A game launcher is an app that gathers and lists the games installed on your phone, often arranging them in a grid like that of a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck. They provide a dedicated space to enter when you’re ready to game, one that doesn’t sandwich games likeTimeliein between apps like Tapo and TurboTax.
Opening a game launcher feels a bit like opening Netflix or loading up the Kobo app—games are treated more like other forms of media, rather than like software. You’re free to build a large collection without it making your app drawer unmanageable.
Turn Your Phone Into a Gaming Handheld
On Android, you can even replace your default home screen with a game launcher, hiding everything else and effectively turning your phone or tablet into a dedicated gaming console. This fundamentally is what all Android-based gaming handhelds like theRetroid Pocketreally are.
Some launchers are designed to work with Bluetooth and USB game controllers, so you can stop reaching for the touchscreen after you’ve connected your favorite gamepad (here’s mine). In fact, one of the first Android game launchers I used came bundled with an Android controller: Razer Nexus for the Razer Kishi v2 (pictured below) and Razer Kishi Ultra. I bought the first one, and the latterI reviewed for MakeUseOf.
Razer’s launcher can be set to automatically open when the controller plugs into your phone’s USB-C port. This further distinguishes when your phone is just a phone and when it becomes your gaming handheld. Unfortunately, the launcher is let down by its inability to let you manually add or remove the games it detects.
The Best Game Launchers
I recently felt motivated to look for another game launcher, so with fresh motivation, I hit up the Play Store and considered my options. If you want to give a game launcher a go, these are the ones I’ve tried.
Google Play Games
For starters, your phone may have already come with a game launcher preinstalled. Google Play Games shows every game you have installed, plus it lists every game you’ve ever installed from the Play Store.
When you scroll past all of Google’s built-in games, this app is also a good place to discover new games from the Play Store. It’s actually better than browsing the Play Store itself.
Unlike the other launchers, Google Play Games doesn’t attempt to emulate consoles, but it still serves the core purpose of consolidating everything about games into one place.
The Arcade
I’m currently most fond of The Arcade. While it can feel a bit much at first, thanks to music that auto-plays when you open the launcher and its giant banner image that makes me think of Halo, both of these can be swapped out, and the music can be turned off entirely.
I ultimately like the way The Arcade presents games and that the launcher works well both in landscape and portrait. Many launchers are designed around widescreen games you play with a controller, but I also playgames likeMonument Valleythat launch in portrait instead.
Gamedeck
Gamedeck is a bit basic at first launch, but it offers the most extensive set of options I’ve seen in a game launcher. You can switch between grid and list views, move UI elements to different parts of the screen, and completely change the theme. This is a landscape-only launcher intended for controllers, but it’s probably your best bet if you don’t like how any of the other launchers feel out of the box.
Console Launcher
Like Gamedeck, Console Launcher doesn’t look like much at first, but I find that with just a few tweaks, there’s a lot to like here. Sure, it also auto-plays music, so The Arcade isn’t alone in trying to set a vibe. And if you’re not happy with the default presentation, you’re going to have to spring for the paid version. There isn’t much configuring you can do otherwise, but the free version is enough to get a feel for whether this is the launcher for you.
Other game controllers also come with launchers, such as those fromBackboneandGameSir. I was personally rather fond of the launcher that came with my previous phone, a Moto Edge+ 2023. In other words, you have options. We gamers are an opinionated bunch, and I won’t say there is one best option that works for all. But if you regularly game from your phone, it’s worth giving at least one game launcher a go.
