Play wherever you want and how you want with the same simplicity with which you watch your favorite series. Netflix opens the doors to streaming gaming and brings part of its own catalog to more devices. Possibly you are reading us from one of them. What it offers today cannot be measured with Microsoft’s titanic Game Pass, but that does not mean that it has happened his first seven giant steps to become a great video game platform. Is it going in the right direction?
You may already know it or perhaps you are discovering it right now but Netflix offers movies, series and video games. However, the latter has had small print until very recently: its game catalog was only available for mobile phones and tablets, so (unlike its streaming content) you had to go through the Apple or Android store and then tap install them. It is not a complicated process, mind you, but the simplicity and immediacy of the platform was lost. Until now.
Netflix is gradually enabling the possibility of streaming games from televisions and web browsers. The first tests began approximately a year ago in North America and recently the beta version of this function has reached Europe, along with Germany, France, Italy, Mexico and the United Kingdom. The best? You don’t have to pay extra for games or to be able to play And you won’t have to buy a controller either. At iGamesNews, in fact, we have already tried it and these have been our impressions.
What do I need to play Netflix games?
First things first: unlike series and movies, just because the streaming game has arrived on Netflix does not mean that it has been enabled for all subscribers to the service. At least, for now. The way in which its launch has been planned is gradual and It is currently in Beta phasewhich has nothing to do with the content or the games, but rather an attempt is being made to optimize the experience for what will be the final version of this initiative.
How do I know if I have been chosen to try this new feature? The quickest and e asiest way to do this is to open Netflix on our television or access our account on Netflix.com. If when you look at the menu a row of games appears, it means that:
- On the one hand, our Netflix account is in the beta program
- Additionally, our device meets the hardware requirements
Note that I have written device instead of generalizing with television and browsers. This is because a stable internet connection is needed and although there are many Smart TVs that integrate their own Netflix app, a way to access the streaming game from the living room is also Chromecast with Google TV, FireStick devices or Nvidia Shield TV.
From here the doubt becomes itself: if the line with the video games appears on my screen, what do I have to do to play? On PC and Mac there is no loss or paperwork, since all you have to do is use a Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browser. What’s more, although each game indicates its playability, it is possible to use the mouse or touch panel and keyboard. In televisions the solution is turn our cell phone into a remote control.
For years Netflix has enabled the iOS AppStore and in Google Play Store a completely free app that converts the touch screens of our mobile phones and tablets into a controller adapted to the functions of its different games. The problem, of course, is that until now there was no function to play streaming from Netflix. That said, to convert any mobile screen into a controller, all you have to do is scan a QR code. As simple as it sounds.
Unlike other streaming gaming platforms, at the moment Netflix does not allow playing on televisions using any controller other than our own phone. In web browsers, the control options go through the classic keyboard and/or mouse and, of course, also the screen of our mobile phone. This may change for the final version. On the other hand, every time we start a game we will have to scan the QR code with the mobile device we want to use.
As a final note, if the games queue appears, you can also play the Netflix catalog directly from Samsung, LG, Xumo Smart TVs or certain models of Roku devices. Logically, the big difference between all of these is not the hardware but the internet connection. For reference, the optimal experience is obtained with download speeds of 10 Mbps or faster.
One small step for gamers. A big step for Netflix
The gaming experience that Netflix offers today for televisions and web browsers is what it is: a small advance. A timid appetizer if we compare it to the catalog of games that is already offered on mobile phones with great games such as the Grand Theft Auto trilogy, Sonic Mania Plus or TMNT Shredder Revenge. But also a necessary first step before possibly hitting the table.
Don’t get me wrong: Oxenfree is still wonderful. It is worth remembering that its creators were the first to be bought by Netflix in order to create their own portfolio of studios with their own exclusive games. And even though Infernax It does not match the charm of the classic Castlevania, as a tribute it is very attractive. That said, almost all of the titles that are enabled in the beta are not part of the wide catalog of downloadable games that Netflix offers to its subscribers. Which is a double-edged sword.
Without ever detracting from what each of the games separately brings to the player, what we have in front of us to play today seen as a whole will not make us subscribe to the service in a hurry. The other reading that is made is that Netflix wants to win over casual players more than compete head-on with other video game subscriptions.
Game |
Icon |
Players |
Gender |
Study |
Year (netflix) |
Control |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Infernax |
|
1 |
Action |
DotEmu, Berzerk Studio, Shipmates |
2024 |
|
OXENFREE |
|
1 |
Aventura |
Night School Studio |
2016 |
|
Link Twin |
|
1 – 2 |
Puzzle |
Amber Studio |
2023 |
|
Mole Gem Mayhem |
|
1 |
Arcade |
Pipeworks |
2023 |
|
Reigns |
|
1 |
Strategy, cards |
Devolver, Nerial Limited |
2023 |
|
Reigns: Three Kingdoms |
|
1 |
Strategy, cards |
Devolver, Nerial Limited |
2023 |
|
Rocket |
|
1 |
Arcade |
Tech Lab |
2023 |
|
Story Warriors: Fairy Tales |
|
1 |
Puzzle |
Dreams Uncorporated |
2023 |
|
The Almost Gone |
|
1 |
Puzzle |
Playdigius, Happy Volcano |
2023 |
|
Underwatermelon: Fruit Merge |
|
1 |
Arcade |
Next Games |
2024 |
|
It is easy to locate the most popular games and I can tell you that Netflix has not given us room to evaluate whether its control system is accurate: apart from Infernax and little else, almost all the titles are arcade or puzzle-style. Which is postponing a litmus test in the face of much sweeter titles that Netflix offers via download on mobile phones such as Dead Cells, Katana ZERO or GTA: San Andreas.
What is it like to play Netflix games streaming and what can we ask for in the future?
With the cards properly placed on the table, it is time to make a clarification: the first thing we will see before starting the first game (we will not get anything else) is a message in which Netflix emphasizes that this function is in a testing phase. The other reality is that we have hardly encountered any failures, although there is a lot of work ahead in order to consider the service a competitive gaming platform compared to other streaming alternatives.
When playing from browsers the experience is exactly what you expect from any cloud game with the difference that there is no title that will test your skills with the controller or keyboard. At the moment it makes no sense to make comparisons with Amazon’s Luna, AntStream or Xbox Cloud Gaming, but there is one element that is worth emphasizing: given the type of games it offers, starting to play is almost immediate and with fairly short loading times. Not enough to put on an episode or a movie, but enough to blink three times.
There is little to play, but most of the titles are aimed at an audience that prefers simpler and more casual games. So this is a very favorable point in order to reach a profile that seeks more light entertainment capable of dedicating entire hours to the two magnificent Reigns that are played by choosing between different cards or a Mole Gem Mayhem which reminds us of the golden age of casual minigames. And between one thing and another, a Oxenfree whose presence openly tells us: if you haven’t played me yet, you no longer have an excuse.
Regarding the command, I’m afraid I can tell you little based on what there is. The interesting thing is that Netflix adapts the layout to the type of game it is, so that you will never have too many buttons and, in the absence of ergonomics, it will always take simplicity and comfort into account: if a title only requires two types For actions you will not have more than two buttons in addition to the digital joystick. And that is a success.
Logically, all the games already available in streaming follow the premises of those that could be downloaded on mobile phones: there are no micropayments, nor advertising during the games. And although we miss specific games regarding their proposal for televisions and browsers, the vast majority of those that already exist are designed to connect with the public, including the little ones in the house and those who “are not very into video games.” “.
In any case, if Netflix wants to add true value to its subscriptions, there is something it will have to face: moving much of its large catalog that already exists on mobile phones to its streaming service is absolutely substantial. And that, whether you like it or not, means opening the door to allowing us to also use traditional controllers like the Xbox one so that the essential Hades does not ruin its impeccable gameplay.
Our conclusion? The great value of Netflix continues to be in its video content and its gaming proposal has a long way to go to be as attractive as others or what is already offered on PC. However, the foundations that are being laid for the arrival of great games and the doors that are opening make it a very, very promising initiative.
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