Netflix plans to widen the use of its cloud gaming service in the coming 12 months.
It will be focused on co-op and party gaming from your TV or streaming device, it has been revealed.
Netflix is undoubtedly one of the best streaming services on the planet – its vast library of content is matched by a huge production budget for interesting original content.
It has also, for the last couple of years, been testing its own cloud gaming service, with a handful of users in a couple of countries able to stream games over the internet onto their TVs. Now it seems the platform is ready to take things to the next level.
That doesn't mean Netflix is about to take on the likes of Xbox Cloud Gaming through Game Pass nor Nvidia's GeForce Now, but the company's co-CEO, Greg Peters, has confirmed plans to open up game streaming to the wider audience.
The biggest difference to the existing, aforementioned services is that Netflix will focus on co-op and party games for the whole family to enjoy.
That makes sense. Nobody is going to beat Xbox when it comes to offering Call of Duty games to stream on your Samsung or LG TV, or Amazon Fire TV Stick. Xbox Cloud Gaming overs 100s of console titles to subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, including some games bought on the Xbox Store.
And GeForce Now is arguably the largest PC game streaming platform.
Instead, Netflix will offer experiences to share with family and friends, where you can all sit down and play curated titles together: "We think of this as a successor to family board game night or an evolution of what the game show on TV used to be," said Peters as part of the brand's Q4 2024 earnings announcement (via The Verge).
That could also mean a return for interactive quiz shows to the service.
Netflix hosted a number of interactive TV shows on the platform until the end of last year, when it cancelled several. That included Trivia Quest, which you played using your remote control.
However, new games can be far more advanced as they'll be hosted on remote machines with greater processing power. All you'll need is a gamepad or smartphone connected to your TV or streaming device. Netflix has been trialling the use of mobile devices as game controllers, so they could be a solution for getting the whole family involved.
No timeframe has been suggested for launch yet, but it is thought to be coming this year. Netflix will also increase the amount of new games based on its own shows, it has revealed.
