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Take mobile games to TV with Google Cast

December 3, 2015 in Games | 2 min. read
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Enable Google Cast Remote Display for your game and players can view it on their TV. In fact, they can even use their device as a game controller! With the Google Cast Remote Display Plugin now available free of charge from the Asset Store, it’s easy to get going.

Extend your game with remote display

With Google Cast Remote Display you can build dual-screen applications and games where part of the experience is broadcast to a TV via Cast, and the other is displayed on the phone or tablet screen. The plugin provides an easy API to cast-enable apps for both Android and iOS with minimal to no code changes.

Add the Remote Display Plugin to Your Game

To enable Google Cast in your game, first download the Remote Display plugin for Unity from the Asset Store. Then, import the Remote Display package and add the CastRemoteDisplayManager prefab to your scene. Next, set up cameras for the local and remote displays and configure them with the CastRemoteDisplayManager.

To display a Cast button in the UI so the user can select a Google Cast device, add the CastDefaultUI prefab to your scene. Now you’re ready to build and run the app. Once you connect to a Cast device, you’ll see the remote camera view on the TV.

For an in-depth guide to using the Remote Display plugin, check out the developer documentation.

Designing a dual-screen game

To get the most out of Google Cast, you’ll need to adapt your game interactions to support a multi-screen user experience. You can use the mobile device sensors to create abstract controls activated, for example, by movement, or you can turn the player’s device into a game pad they can use to control the gaming action on their TV.

It’s important not to fatigue the player by requiring them to continuously switch their attention between their device and the screen. If you want some best practice advice and ideas, look no further than the handy UX guidelines developed by the Google Cast UX team, or check out the Google Cast sample game on the Asset Store.

For more info, check out the video here

Millions of players

With 20 million Chromecast devices sold and numerous Smart TVs shipping pre-enabled, the opportunity is huge. Thanks to the Google Cast team for making it so easy for Unity Developers to bring their mobile games to the home’s biggest screen!

chromecast
December 3, 2015 in Games | 2 min. read

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