It has been more or less two years since Netflix started offering its subscribers a whole gaming segment. The company started in 2021 with roughly 50 titles in its arsenal and has increased that with another 40 or so more since then.

The new service, however, was available only on iOS, iPadOS, and Android. This left the most obvious and exciting medium, TVs — where the Netflix name initially became a household one — unutilized.

The good news is that an app developer by the name of Steve Moser has discovered hidden code inside the app hinting the company is planning to finally make the big step forward and offer its games on TV as well. Maybe equally exciting is the next information dug out by Moser, which insinuates users would have the option to use their phones, be it Android or iPhone, to play the games on their TV screens. (via Bloomberg)

Here's the text hinting at the phone-controller functionality:

A game on your TV needs a controller to play. Do you want to use this phone as a game controller?
This could potentially be a game changer for Netflix and bring it one step closer to retaining its subscribers, which is one of the main reasons the platform started introducing Games to its service in the first place. After serious backlash following price hikes and talks of harsher regulation on account sharing, this would be a great opportunity for Netflix to score some extra "cool" points.

If the streaming giant does decide to go along with this endeavor, it would also serve as a solid foundation for the company's ambition to launch a cloud-gaming service, for which it is perfectly positioned at this moment. That would allow anyone with a Netflix subscription (although it might be a new tier with a new price slapped onto it) to play more demanding titles that would not require powerful equipment and installation, just a very strong and stable internet connection.