Netflix is unrivaled when it comes to streaming movies and TV series. But for some time now it has been looking to expand its catalog with games. After having thelaunched mobile games in 2021, Netflix is now testing a new feature that would allow its subscribers to play on TV using it smartphone come controller.
Netflix: Games on TV with your smartphone as a controller
The feature was discovered by Bloomberg, who analyzed the Netflix app code and found references to the gaming on TV. According to the code, Netflix would ask users if they want use your phone as a game controller for a game on your TV. The code also hints that Netflix may offer gods tutorial to explain how the feature works.
We don’t know yet what games Netflix will offer on your TV or how it will make them available. But in all likelihood it could bring the games it already offers on its mobile platform to smart TV apps as well. But there is an even more interesting hypothesis, which could attract many gamers.
Cloud gaming: Does Netflix want to become the ultimate streaming platform?
One possibility is that Netflix uses the technology of cloud gaming, or rather the ability to play in streaming without the need to download or install anything. In this way, Netflix could offer more advanced and varied games than those for mobile devices, which are mainly based on its original contents.
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While Xbox and Nvidia already have great services for cloud game streaming, and more and more companies (like Sony) are banking on similar platforms, Netflix would have a positional advantage. Perhaps by giving the possibility to play some titles within its subscriptions, it could convince many players to pay a supplement. And software houses could offer games to all of them category of more “casual” players, which are many – and maybe they don’t want to buy dedicated consoles or services.
Can it succeed where Google’s Stadia failed?
This feature resembles the one offered by Google with its cloud gaming service Stadiawhich closed its doors in 2021. Stadia allowed players to use their phone as a TV controller via a function called “Phone Link“. Alternatively, players could plug a controller into their phone instead of their TV for an easier connection.
Netflix hasn’t officially announced its TV gaming feature yet, but it may soon. The company has stated in the past that it plans to invest in gaming as part of its growth and diversification strategy. With over 200 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix has huge potential to become a major player in the gaming industry. And taking away the need for a dedicated controller, it could attract a lot of new players.