Chromecast just got a huge upgrade today. Google has announced that the $35 media dongle can now be used to play video games. It doesn’t require anything but an Android phone or tablet as far as controllers go. Google’s already named a healthy list of games you’ll be able to play on your TV:
- Wheel of Fortune
- Hasbro’s Monopoly Dash
- Scrabble Blitz
- Connect Four Quads
- Simon Swipe
- Just Dance Now
- Big Web Quiz
- Emoji Party
It probably won’t be able to handle any hugely-involved games in the areas of controls and graphics, but it should be well enough to support the growing list of great web games being made. Google also announced support for Showtime Anytime and Starz, two premium cable networks with a good selection of shows and movies to choose from.
Finally Google added new category tabs for things like sports, movies, games, music and more to make it easier to find the type of Chromecast-compatible content you’re looking for. With this upgrade and many more sure to be along the way now is not a bad time to get a Chromecast if you or someone you know doesn’t already have one (especially since you can often find it on sale for under $25).
[via Google]
I cast Clash of Clans up on my TV all the time. My wife loves it even more than Grey’s Anatomy.
I’ll have to give that a try, though I doubt my wife would love it :)
You should take your wife out more :0
See, you got our hopes up by saying it was a “huge update” that allows you to play games on the TV… …then you gave a short list of craptastic sounding games.
No lie, I’m feelin’ the same way right now. LoL!!
Finally, showtime hooray!
I wonder how long it will be before somebody finds a flaw and hacks it to get free Showtime and Starz.
Finally Starz is available.
I was really hoping for emulator stuff, but I suppose if it doesn’t have bluetooth, that’ll never happen.
Cool I’ll try connect 4 tonight
Very happy to see chromecast support for Starz and Encore. It took awhile, but it’s nice that the wait is over. I watched a couple of Starz movies through Chromecast this afternoon and it worked great.
I have a feeling chromecast will need to do a lot more to come close to competing with Amazon’s new fire stick.
They are absolutely on the right track with implementing board games. Having a game board displayed on the big screen and individual sets of cards/tokens/etc. displayed on the personal devices of each player is a perfect use of the technology. If game companies like Fantasy Flight start implementing this with newer games, I and my friends will be all over it.