Netflix is starting public testing of its cloud-streamed games this week. The streaming platform, which introduced mobile games on its app in November 2021, will be taking another leap outside the realm of films and TV shows, starting with two games that will be available for some users in the US and Canada.
In 2021, Netflix Games launched on mobile globally with five titles: Stranger Things: 1984 (BonusXP), Stranger Things 3: The Game (BonusXP), Shooting Hoops (Frosty Pop), Card Blast (Amuzo & Rogue Games), and Teeter Up (Frosty Pop). In a press statement, Netflix stated that it’s in “the early days of creating a great gaming experience.” Netflix subscription is an all-access pass, they are Android and iOS friendly, and they are only for adults.
Currently, about 50 games are available for Indian users such as Raji: An Ancient Epic, Heads Up! and This is a True Story. The new update, which is currently rolled out for a “limited beta test” indicates Netflix’s gaming ambitions, according to the press statement. By bringing games to TVs and web browsers over cloud streaming, Netflix could be the new competition in the space.
Two games will be part of this initial test: Oxenfree from Night School Studio, a Netflix Game Studio, and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, a gem-mining arcade game. To play the games on TV, Netflix has introduced a controller— our phones. People can play on PCs and Macs through Netflix.com using a keyboard and mouse, according to Netflix VP of Games Mike Verdu, who was quoted in the statement. Android users can access the controller through the Netflix app, while those with an device iOS will have to download a special controller app, spokesperson Chrissy Kelleher told The Verge.
The games on TV will be available on select devices: Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Players, Chromecast with Google TV, LG TVs, Nvidia Shield TV, Roku devices and TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, and Walmart ONN. More devices will be added in the future, the Netflix statement said.
“By making games available on more devices, we hope to make games even easier to play for our members around the world. While we’re still very early in our game's journey, we’re excited to bring joy to members with games,” Verdu adds in the statement.
The cloud-streaming games are currently available to a small number of people in the US and Canada. Netflix will hopefully launch it to the global population in the near future.
