Netflix brings cloud gaming test on Google TV, Roku, more with phone-based controller to US [U]

Ben Schoon | Oct 16 2023 - 2:05 pm PT

Following a dive into mobile games over the past couple of years, Netflix is now testing support for game streaming on TV platforms and the web, all powered by a remote controller on your smartphone.

The growing library of games available as a part of your Netflix subscription has been available only on Android and iOS thus far, leaving out the ability to play games on your TV and computer where you can watch content on the streaming platform. Netflix hasn’t been shy about its plans to bring games to more devices, though, and that’s being tested right now.

Netflix announced back in August that it will start streaming games to select devices, primarily on TVs. The limited test will stream just two games: Oxenfree from Night School Studio, a Netflix Game Studio, and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, a gem-mining arcade game. On PCs, the games will be playable through the web using a mouse and keyboard, but on TVs, games will require a phone-based controller. That app showed up on iPhone and iPad last week, and at this point has still yet to appear in the Play Store for Android devices.

As for what TVs will support Netflix games, Google’s Android TV OS will be supported, as will Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and more. The full list Netflix notes includes:

Amazon Fire TV
Chromecast with Google TV
Nvidia Shield TV
Walmart Onn
Roku (streaming devices and TVs)
LG TVs
Samsung Smart TVs

Netflix says additional devices will be added on an “ongoing basis.”

But, more restrictive than the number of devices is where the test is ongoing. Netflix will only support streaming games in the United Kingdom and Canada at first, though it will go global eventually.

Update 10/16: As of mid-October, Netflix has now expanded its cloud gaming efforts to the United States, as revealed in a quiet footnote update to the original announcement.