.png)
Netflix has initiated a limited beta phase to evaluate its cloud gaming service, marking a significant step in the company's venture into gaming.
Beginning today, a select group of subscribers in Canada and the UK will have the opportunity to engage in gaming on their television screens using the Netflix Game Controller app.
Mike Verdu, Netflix Gaming's Vice President, explained in a post on the company's website that the beta's primary purpose is to assess the performance of the game streaming technology and controller, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the user experience as the testing progresses.
During the beta trial, participants will have access to two games: "Oxenfree," developed by Night School Studio (a company acquired by Netflix in 2021), and "Molehew's Mining Adventure."
For now, the service is compatible with various devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, LG TVs, Nvidia Shield TV, Roku devices and TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, and Walmart ONN. Netflix intends to expand device compatibility in the future.
Moreover, Netflix plans to extend the beta experience to PC and Mac users through supported browsers in the upcoming weeks. On these platforms, gamers can also opt for a keyboard and mouse instead of using the dedicated app.
Verdu highlighted that this step is just the beginning of Netflix's journey into gaming. He expressed enthusiasm about broadening game availability across multiple devices worldwide, underlining the company's aspiration to bring joy to its members through gaming.
Notably, Netflix recently launched a gamepad app that enables subscribers to play games on their televisions. However, as of now, this app is exclusively available for iOS devices.
