Netflix giveth and Netflix taketh away. Mostly, though, the streaming platform giveth. And it looks as though it’s set to give its users a little more, in the shape of mobile games playable on TV sets. Even weirder, smartphones (the iPhone, specifically, but we expect Android would also get a look in) would function as controllers.
At least, that’s the case according to some code that has turned up in the iOS version of the streaming app. If it’s executed, and there’s reason to think it might be, it would see mobile games playable on TVs. And that means more folks availing themselves of Netflix’s mobile game ambitions.
Netflix is a game?
Netflix wants to make games playable on every device by turning your iPhone into a controller for Netflix running on a TV. Code hidden in their iOS app: “A game on your TV needs a controller to play. Do you want to use this phone as a game controller?” $NFLX cloud gaming soon? https://t.co/ZPl5gyoKkQ pic.twitter.com/ilpSJjcxBG
— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) March 30, 2023
A MacRumours contributor, Steve Moser, found a reference to just this scenario in the iOS version of the streaming app. Specifically, he found the line, “A game on your TV needs a controller to play. Do you want to use this phone as a game controller?” Previously (and currently), games available to subscribers were/are only playable on compatible smartphones and tablets. It certainly looks like that’s about to change.
How it’s about to change is the thing. There may be work underway for games to be made compatible with the TV version of the Netflix app. It may be that only certain TV sets will support controlling games via their operating systems. Skyworth, TCL, and Hisense, as well as a few other manufacturers, use Android as a base for their television operating systems, so compatibility might not be that much of an issue. The only problem then would be a controller. If connecting a smartphone to a smart TV via Bluetooth solves the problem, the streaming giant may just have found a way to expand its gaming reach.
When queried, a company spokesperson declined to comment.
Source: Steve Moser (Twitter)
