Netflix is finally testing out cloud gaming on TV and browsers

By Tomas Franzese August 14, 2023

Netflix announced it’s starting a limited beta test for streaming Netflix Games on TV and browsers starting today, beginning with the titles Oxenfree and Molehew’s Mining Adventure.

Oxenfree being played via Netflix on TV and on a computer. — Netflix

Netflix has made a concerted effort to get into mobile gaming over the past couple of years, but the company has also voiced its intention to bring Netflix Games to platforms other than iOS and Android via cloud gaming. Last week, a mobile game controller app for Netflix appeared on the iOS App Store, suggesting that an announcement related to Netflix Games on TV was imminent. Now, in an August 14 blog post, Netflix confirmed it’s holding limited betas to test the water for Netflix games on TV, PCs, and Macs.

Starting today, some Netflix subscribers in Canada and the U.K. will get access to a limited beta test for Netflix Games on TV. Initially, Amazon, Chromecast, LG, Nvidia Sheild, Roku, Samsung, and Walmart TVs will support Netflix Games, with more to “be added on an ongoing basis.” In the coming weeks, Netflix.com will also start to allow subscribers in those regions to play games via a browser on both PC and Mac.

To start, only two games will be playable during the beta: Night School Studios’ narrative adventure game Oxenfree and a new “gem-mining arcade game” called Molehew’s Mining Adventure. Players will stream these games to the device Netflix is open on and can play them with a keyboard, mouse, or that Netflix Game Controller app. The blog post states that the purpose of this beta is “test our game-streaming technology and controller, and to improve the member experience over time.’

There’s no word on when this beta will make its way to North America, but this does indicate that we’ll only see Netflix’s gaming presence ramp up in the coming months and years.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Gaming Staff Writer

Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Gaming

Amazon Fire TVs are getting their own cloud gaming hub featuring Luna

Home screen for Games on Fire TV

Amazon Fire TVs are getting their own cloud gaming hub dubbed Games on Fire TV. The app is similar to the Samsung Gaming Hub, though its focus is specifically on Amazon Luna rather than other streaming services.

According to a blog post that Amazon published on Wednesday, Games on Fire TV allows players to stream cloud games from their TV. If you're already subscribed to Amazon Luna, the company's cloud gaming service, you can stream games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, play a rotating selection of games for free every month on the Prime Gaming Channel, or download games from the Fire TV app store. The games that are currently available on the Prime Gaming Channel include League of Legends, Fallout 76, Total War: Warhammer II, and Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

Mobile

The Netflix app on your phone is hiding dozens of games, and they’re great

Hidden among Netflix’s endless main menu, where you usually scroll through its extensive list of shows — unable to decide what to watch — you may have stumbled across a section labeled "Mobile Games." Yes, a small library of games is also included with your Netflix subscription, and despite being around since the end of 2021, not everyone may have given them a go yet.

But are they streaming games, like the now-dead Google Stadia service? Or is this something different, and do you need one of the best smartphones to play them? We’ve investigated to find out.
How Netflix Games works

Gaming

If you have a Netflix subscription, don’t sleep on the service’s games

A blue cat chasing a creature.

When Netflix first announced it was pushing into video games, the news was met with some healthy skepticism. By that point, we’d seen a few non-gaming companies like Google and Amazon try to elbow into the space with services that struggled to deliver strong, consistent content. Netflix seemed doomed to go down the same path when it launched its first batch of games, an unimpressive list that included mobile games. That slow start may have put the steamer on the wrong foot as only 1% of subscribers were reportedly engaging with its gaming offerings earlier this year.

A lot has changed in the past few months. Netflix has gone from zero to 60 since June, seemingly releasing a notable new game every few weeks. That sudden explosion hit another high note this week with the release of Desta: The Memories Between, a standout mobile title that’s exclusive to Netflix members.