Netflix’s new app turns your smartphone into a controller

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

The popular streaming platform Netflix has been the talk of the town due to its “End the Password Sharing” initiative. However, the streaming platform has launched a new Game Controller application that allows its subscribers to play games on their TVs. 

Basically, the new app will transform the user’s phones into game controllers, letting them play games on their TV. It’s currently only available on the iPhone.

However, this is not the streaming giant’s first encounter with the gaming industry. Back in 2021, the company launched multiple mobile games, included as free to play for its subscribers through its service.

The Stranger Things: 1984 game and Shooting Hoops were a part of this release. However, the streaming company’s mobile game library has since expanded, with more than 63 titles currently available.

Is Netflix trying to enter the Cloud gaming market? 

Since the launch of its mobile games, Netflix has been quite vocal about its plans to expand to the cloud-based gaming territory. 

At the TechCrunch Disrupt event back in 2022, Netflix’s VP of Gaming, Mike Verdu, stated that Netflix was “exploring a cloud gaming offering.” 

However, it is not yet clear which games will be available for the subscribers to play on their TVs via smartphone-turned-game controller.

We expect the company to bring this controller support for some of the already-released games. Whether it will be a hit or a miss is yet to be seen. 

Will Netflix’s new cloud gaming venture be successful?

Several cloud gaming platforms have failed in the past, most notably Google’s Stadia. And Netflix is just starting out at a time when it is experiencing a loss in subscribers.

So right now, it is difficult to conclude, although the streaming giant already has a solid subscriber base, which could push the company toward success. And turning the smartphone into a gaming controller is a good start, to begin with. 

So, at the moment, we have no other option but to wait and watch. 

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• New Netflix feature allows easy profile transfers
• Netflix doubles down on 40 more games nobody asked for
• Disney Plus says price hikes and password crackdowns on the horizon
• Paramount+ overtakes Apple TV+ in streaming wars