Bloomberg report says Netflix is developing a feature that would allow users to control games on the TV using their iPhone. Playing TV games on your iPhone could be one method to support Netflix’s recent announcement of wanting to make its games “playable on every Streaming device that you have.”
The iOS app reportedly has a code that states: “A game on your TV needs a controller to play,” Do you wish to use this phone as a controller for video games? According to Steve Moser of MacRumors,
In 2021, Netflix launched its mobile games service; as of this month, the company claims it has already released 55 games, with 40 more scheduled for release later this year But, those games are only playable on iOS and Android devices; laptops and other larger screens do not support these games.
Utilizing your phone as a controller would allow Netflix to bypass having to produce its own unique game controller, similar to what Google did for its now-defunct Stadia service. In addition, Netflix claimed this month that work on a cloud gaming service is “underway” after the company initially declared it was “seriously researching” the idea in 2022. This would open up an opportunity for users to use their phones to operate cloud games from that service.
Committing to cloud gaming would be a smart move that gets more people to access to play games on mobile and elsewhere conveniently. Leanne Loombe, Netflix’s VP of external games, once said in a briefing with reporters, “We do want Netflix games to be playable on every Netflix device that you have. We are still figuring out and making plans for how the streaming and app stores will integrate.”
The Netflix app currently allows you to view the mobile games it offers, but in order to play them, you must first download them from Google Play or App Store. It’s a little clunky, and it’s definitely not as smooth as just starting a show with a tap in-app. If it were possible with the games on Netflix, many more people would try them than the few who have tried them up till now.