When Google originally announced Chromecast, the stated intention was to make streaming video and audio content to the living room much easier. That has been the case for a while now, but now it looks like some intrepid developers have succeeded in bringing a simple game to Chromecast as well.
Swishly Inc have released a new game for iOS and Android called TicTacToe for Chromecast. As the name implies, it’s a simple TicTacToe game that mirrors your phone’s display on the TV via Chromecast. In essence, you’ll be able to play one of the most infuriating games of your youth on the TV.
As the Google Operating System blog points out, Swishly’s app is based on a sample app found within Google’s own Google Cast API entry on GitHub. While it does make Swishly seem a little less creative, it does confirm that the Chromecast can be used for more than just audio and video. It just now remains to be seen how well it will handle games.
In the best case scenario, Chromecast will offer games similar functionality to Apple’s AirPlay feature on Apple TV. In short, players will be able to mirror their Android games on a TV using Chromecast. It’s somewhat of a niche audience, but there are people out there who would love to play their mobile games on the big screen from time to time.
If Chromecast does start to mirror games, that opens up questions regarding Google’s rumored Android games console. While the Ouya and other systems have yet to prove that a dedicated Android games console is something that people want, a major player like Google or Amazon could possibly muscle their way into making the market profitable. There’s not much room for a dedicated Android gaming console, however, if Google enables Chromecast to mirror games being played on a mobile device.
If you want to try out TicTacToe for Chromecast, you can grab it today on both Android and iOS.
[Image: Google Play]