Android TV now supports phones as game controllers

The Android TVs will hit markets in a few months from now and developers are working hard to finish its apps and games. At the Game Developer Conference, Google announced that Android TV will allow you to use a phone or tablet as a game controller.

For gaming on the TV
The concept is pretty straightforward. Either you can use a dedicated game controller or you and your buddies can use your phones or tablets. Google says that out of one billion Android users, three out of four are gamers, so there should be some potential here.


Google is letting game developers use the new so-called “Nearby Connections API” to turn a mobile screen into a game controller with customizable buttons. In the video below you see how four players use their phones to compete in Beach Buggy Racing. To do the same with traditional game controllers you would need four. The same system can also be integrated in apps other than games.

At the same time, Google also announced how it plans to put advertisement directly into your games on billboards, signs, menus and more. 

Sony, Philips, Sharp and Razer will soon release Android TVs and media players. To learn more about Android TV go here.