Netflix experiments with video game streaming

Netflix has announced that a select group of gamers in Canada and the U.K. will have the opportunity to beta test video game streaming on their platform.

The beta test will initially be available on select TVs starting Monday, and will later expand to include PCs and Macs through the Netflix website. This expansion into gaming began in 2021 with the launch of Netflix Games on mobile devices. Mike Verdu, Netflix’s vice president of games, stated that this is just the first step in making games accessible on all devices where Netflix is enjoyed.

Verdu expressed excitement about bringing joy to Netflix members through gaming: “By making games available on more devices, we hope to make games even easier to play for our members around the world.”

The initial beta test will feature two games: Oxenfree from Night School Studio (a Netflix Game Studio) and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, an arcade game centered around gem-mining. Players can use their cellphones as controllers for TV streaming, while computer players can utilize a keyboard and mouse on the Netflix website. Additionally, Netflix recently introduced a game controller app in the Apple app store.

Netflix provided a list of TVs and connected TV devices that will support their games during the beta test, including 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 devices. They also mentioned that more devices will be added over time.