How to Play iOS Games on TV (iPhone/iPad)

As an avid iOS gamer, I have often found myself frustrated by the lack of options for playing my favorite games on a larger screen. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share how I solved this problem as well as other solutions I discovered. In this blog post, I’m going to show you how to play your favorite iOS games on your TV from an iPhone or iPad.

To connect your iPhone or iPad screen to your TV to play games, you’ll need to either connect the device to your Apple TV or Roku and select Screen Mirroring. If you don’t have either, you can instead use third-party streaming apps or an HDMI cable.

Method	Steps
Play iOS Games on Apple TV	1. Connect iOS device and Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
	2. Turn on AirPlay on Apple TV.
	3. On iPhone/iPad, go to Settings > Control Center > Screen Mirroring.
	4. Select Apple TV.
	5. Open the game to play on TV.
Play iOS Games on TV with Roku	1. On Roku app on TV, go to Settings > System > Screen Mirroring.
	2. Select Always Allow for mirroring permissions.
	3. Download and launch Roku screen mirroring app on iOS device.
	4. Select Roku device on iOS app.
	5. On iOS device, swipe down and tap Screen Mirroring.
	6. Choose Roku device when prompted.
	7. Enter the code shown on TV into the iOS device.
	8. Open the game to play on TV.
Play iOS Games on TV without	1. Download a third-party streaming app on iOS device and TV.
Apple TV, Chromecast, or Roku	2. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi connection.
	3. On iPhone/iPad, go to Settings > Control Center > Screen Mirroring.
	4. Select the name of your TV.
	5. Open the game to play on TV.
Play iOS Games on TV with	1. Connect an HDMI cable to the TV and iPhone/iPad.
HDMI Cable	2. Change the input source of the TV to the connected HDMI cable.
	3. Open the game to play on TV.

Table of Contents

How to Play iOS Games on Apple TV

The easiest and most effective way to play iOS games on the TV screen is by connecting the iOS device to your Apple TV. With Apple TV, you can basically turn your mobile phone or tablet into a game controller.

When using your iPhone/iPad to your Apple TV for games, make sure you’re connected to a network of at least 802.11n 5GHz. This ensures the highest quality gaming, with smooth gameplay and zero lag. You can still connect to a lower-band network, but you might experience latency or choppy playback.

Here’s how to connect your iPhone/iPad to your Apple TV to play games:

Turn on your Apple TV and connect your iOS device and Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi network.

Go to the Apple TV Settings > Airplay. Turn the AirPlay option on to make the Apple TV discoverable by your iOS device.
On your iPhone/iPad, go to Settings > Control Center.
Tap Screen Mirroring or the Screen Mirroring icon. The icon looks like two rectangles overlapping each other.

Select Apple TV.
Open the game you want to play.
The screen of your iPhone/iPad will be mirrored on your TV, allowing you to play games on the bigger screen.

Note the TV mirrors your iOS device’s aspect ratio and screen orientation. As such, you may want to either flip your device’s screen to fill the TV or change the TV’s zoom settings and aspect ratio.

How to Play iOS Games on TV With Roku

If you own a Roku receiver, a Roku streaming stick, or a Roku Premiere/Ultra, you can use it to mirror iOS games to your smart TV. Here’s how:

On the Roku app on your TV, go to Settings > System > Screen Mirroring.

Select Always Allow when prompted for mirroring permissions.
Download the free Roku screen mirroring app from the App Store. Once complete, launch the app on your iOS device and accept the Terms and Services to proceed with the standard setup.
The app should automatically search for nearby Roku devices. Select the Roku device connected to your TV.

On your iOS device, swipe down from the upper-right corner.
Tap Screen Mirroring and choose the Roku device once prompted.
On your smart TV, a code will appear. Enter the code on your iOS device, then choose OK or Continue.

Open the game you want to play. The screen should appear on your smart TV.

How to Play iOS Games on TV Without Apple TV, Chromecast, or Roku

If you don’t have an Apple TV, Chromecast, or Roku, don’t fret. You can still mirror iOS games (as well as movies, music, and other media) with the help of downloadable third-party streaming services such as LetsView, AnyCast, AirBeamTV, and Screen Mirroring-TV Cast.

These apps are available on the iOS App Store. Some are free, while others contain in-app purchases or monthly subscriptions.

Once you’ve downloaded the streaming service, follow these steps:

Launch the third-party streaming app on both the iOS device and smart TV.
Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi connection.

On your iPhone/iPad, go to Settings > Control Center, then tap the Screen Mirroring icon. Alternatively, pull the iPhone/iPad screen down and select Screen Mirroring from there.
Select the name of your TV.
Open the game you want to play. If done correctly, your iOS device should be mirrored to the TV.

How to play iOS games on TV With an HDMI Cable

With the appropriate HDMI cable or adapter, you can connect your iOS device to your smart TV to play games.

This method is great for when your Wi-Fi is choppy or unavailable. Just make sure the cable is long enough so you can play your games at a distance.

Insert one end of the cable into the TV and the other into your iPhone/iPad.

Change the input source of the TV to the newly inserted HDMI cable.
Your iPhone/iPad screen will be mirrored on your TV. Launch the game and play to your heart’s content.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are multiple ways to connect your iPhone or iPad to your smart TV to play games. The easiest and most effective method is to use Apple TV; simply go to your iOS Settings > Control Center > Screen Mirroring then select Apple TV.

If you don’t have Apple TV, you can use Roku, a downloadable third-party app, or even an HDMI cable. The gaming experience might not be as smooth as the Apple TV mirroring, but they do the job well enough for you to play games on a bigger screen.