Netflix testing game streaming on TVs, PCs, and Macs

Updated on: 15 August 2023

Justinas Vainilavičius
Senior Journalist

netlflix_games_0815 — Image by Shutterstock

The streaming giant said gamers could use their smartphones as gamepads when playing Netflix games on TV.

Netflix said it was rolling out a "limited beta test" to bring gaming to more devices after launching mobile games in 2021, confirming earlier reports.

"We're taking the first step in making games playable on every device where our members enjoy Netflix – TVs, computers, and mobile," the company's vice president of games, Mike Verdu, said in a blog post.

A small number of members in Canada and the UK can now stream games on select TV models, including Samsung Smart TVs, LG TVs, and Amazon Fire TV streaming devices, among others.

The beta trial will expand to include supported browsers on PCs and Macs in the next few weeks, and more devices will be added later, according to Netflix.

The initial test includes two games: Oxenfree from Night School Studio, which Netflix owns, and Molehew's Mining Adventure, a gem-mining arcade game.

"To play our games on TV, we're introducing a controller that we already have in our hands most of the day – our phones. Members on PCs and Macs can play on Netflix.com with a keyboard and mouse," the blog post read.

It said the beta trial period aimed to test Netflix game streaming technology and controller and to collect feedback.