Netflix rolls out free party games on TV with phones as controllers

Netflix is bringing multiplayer party games to living rooms, announcing a rollout of freetoplay titles that subscribers will be able to launch from the Netflix app on select smart TVs and streaming devices. Netflix said some users will see the feature begin this week, with a broader rollout aimed for the holiday season in a list of initial countries that includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Mexico, France, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Germany, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

The company intends the games to be social experiences played on the TV while players use their smartphones as controllers. Users will select a title from the Games row in the TV app, scan a QR code displayed on screen to pair phones as controllers, and start playing. Phones do not need to be signed in to Netflix to act as controllers. Netflix said the games will be free to all subscribers and available on supported devices, including examples such as Amazon Fire TV Sticks and certain Rokupowered models, with wider device compatibility planned over time.

The initial slate focuses on party formats designed for...