Netflix wants to focus on mobile games first

Netflix will have a mobile-first approach to its venture into video games, at least initially.

This is according to the service's Q2 earnings report, which outlined that it was at "the early stages of further expanding into games," and viewed "gaming as another new content category for us."

This isn't the first time Netflix has tried its hand at games, having released a Stranger Things mobile game on iOS back in 2017, and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, an interactive film back in 2018.

But both were ‌one-off experiments, while this new move appears to be a serious attempt to enter the market. Netflix also confirmed that the games will be available to subscribers at no additional cost, which makes it extremely competitive compared to other platforms like Apple Arcade, which costs £4.99 ($4.99) per month. The games will also not have in-app purchases or ads.

The mobile-first approach also makes business sense as the platform enters South East Asia and sub-saharan Africa with low-cost mobile-only plans.

It is also a safe bet to avoid competing with the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Amazon in the console game streaming market, which has been a difficult launch for the latter two companies.

We first heard about Netflix's interest in releasing games back in May, and more information has slowly been dripping out since. The games are expected to be based on its original IPs.