Nintendo will join the race to establish themselves in the home entertainment market, after it struck a deal with US online rental firm Netflix.
The Japanese group follows Sony and Microsoft in allowing gamers to stream movies via the console onto the TV.
Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo in the US, said that the Wii console is a “special hub” around which family and friends can gather to play games and have fun, which will soon include watching films.
Marie Bloomfield, broadband media analyst at Screen Digest, commented: “The consoles will be hoping that the more bases they cover, the wider their appeal, and will look to overtake the traditional devices in the living room. The rise of broadband has helped as it allowed the companies to deliver content to the consoles.”
Gamers with a PlayStation 3 have also been able to benefit from the BBC’s iPlayer facility, which has now been fully optimised for use on the console.