Netflix Introduces Video Game Streaming Service Beta for Canada, U.K. Users

In the UK and Canada, Netflix (NFLX) is introducing the beta version of its video game streaming service. Dan Howley, the tech editor for Yahoo Finance, analyzes what Netflix's initial forays into cloud gaming may imply for the future of the streamer and examines if it has the capacity to compete with established gaming giants like Sony (SONY) and Microsoft (MSFT).

Now these are not the most aggressive graphics demanding games on the market, but it does show that Netflix is ​​making progress in its gaming ambitions. They already offer mobile games on mobile platforms. When you download Netflix on your smartphone, you'll likely see some of the games they offer alongside the movies and shows you already have.

Well, Netflix is ​​now no longer just for watching things, it finally allows users to play video games on their TVs and computers using the Netflix app and website. To be clear, this is currently a limited test. A "small number of members" in Canada and the UK will be able to access the games via Netflix right on their TVs, with PC and Mac support coming soon.

How can users play gaming on Netflix?

It is also not limited to just a region or device. Currently, only two games can be streamed on Netflix: the indie blockbuster Oxenfree and Molehew's Mining Adventure. Games can be controlled on TVs with a gamepad mobile app that Netflix just snuck into the world, so you don't have to go out and buy an Xbox controller or anything like that. PC and Mac users can use keyboard and mouse for input.

Netflix has flirted with gaming for a while, but streaming has been a somewhat counterintuitive part of the equation. Instead, you downloaded games like Oxenfree onto a mobile phone and logged into your Netflix account to access the game "for free". In other words, it worked just like any other game, with the added hurdle of having a Netflix account to play.

Game streaming has been a trend in the industry for the past few years, with mixed results. Google introduced its Stadia platform in 2019, but shut it down completely earlier this year. 

What other company in the market offers game streaming?

Xbox, on the other hand, has found success by offering streaming as an option for those who subscribe to its popular Game Pass service. The obvious appeal is that you don't need an expensive console or PC to play games via streaming, and the obvious downside is that streaming can cause unwanted input lag and visual issues with a poor connection.