PC game launcher HyperPlay integrated its wallet overlay with MetaMask Snaps, allowing players to use custom wallet apps within its games, according to a Dec. 19 announcement.
HyperPlay is a game launcher similar to Steam, Epic Games Store and GoG (formerly Good Old Games) but with the unique feature of having a built-in version of Web3 wallet MetaMask displayed as an overlay. According to the launcher’s developer, this overlay allows blockchain gamers to confirm transactions directly within games instead of navigating to a browser wallet.
MetaMask Snaps is a feature that allows third-party developers to create apps that run within MetaMask. It launched on Sept. 12, but at the time, HyperPlay’s overlay feature did not work with it. The latest announcement confirms that the two features have become fully integrated through a HyperPlay software upgrade.
In a conversation with Cointelegraph, Hyperplay founder JacobC.eth claimed that the new integration will unlock a variety of features. First, many blockchains that could not previously push transactions to the wallet will now be able to do so:
“The most obvious and immediate use case is the ability to use your wallet in custom blockchains like Sui, StarkWare, Solana, [...] And since there are so many native games that are on those chains, it’s definitely going to expand the range of games where the players can use their single, interoperable wallet across those games.”
As one example, JacobC.eth discussed Bushi, a third-person shooter that features game items on the Sui blockchain. Bushi has been the most popular game on HyperPlay but previously did not allow users to confirm transactions from within the overlay, he stated. This is because Sui is not an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible blockchain and, therefore, is not natively supported by MetaMask. However, players can now install a snap that will allow this blockchain to be supported, and the game now prompts them to do so whenever they first try to initiate a transaction.
According to the HyperPlay founder, the snaps-compatible overlay will provide even more utility in the future. For example, players will be able to install snaps that will let them authorize games to spend their funds, but with a spending limit set by the player. This may increase the convenience and ease of use of games that trigger lots of transactions, as it will prevent the player from needing to manually confirm every transaction. At the same time, it won’t require the users to trust the game with their funds since the spending limit will be enforced through account abstraction, he stated.
In June, HyperPlay raised over $12 million in Series A funding round. At the time, it had 33 titles. The launcher also allows players to integrate their GoG and Epic Games accounts into its interface.
