Netflix is enabling users to play video games on TV screens

Netflix is rolling out a new “Games” tab in its TV interface app, where users will soon be able to launch party titles and use their phones as game controllers. 

The first batch includes titles such as Boggle Party, LEGO Party!, Pictionary: Game Night, Tetris Time Warp, and a social deduction-style game called Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends, as per The Verge reports.

This move signals Netflix’s effort to transform itself from a passive entertainment service into an interactive platform.

Over the past few years, its gaming presence has been limited to mobile, but this shift suggests it wants to own not only what people watch, but also how they engage when gathered around a screen.

To play, users will tap the Games tab, select a title, and scan a QR code to connect their phone as the controller. There’s no extra purchase or console needed.

Netflix says the feature will launch initially in selected countries and expand gradually.

This strategy aligns with Netflix’s four-pronged approach to gaming: party games, kids’ games, mainstream hits, and games based on Netflix IPs.

That structure suggests Netflix isn’t experimenting; instead, this is a calculated push.

Yet several challenges lie ahead. Integrating low-latency gaming over existing streaming infrastructure is tough, especially for fast-paced action.

Ensuring game quality, matching competitors in the console/PC space, and retaining engagement over time will test Netflix’s gaming division.

Meanwhile, it has already downsized its interactive content efforts by removing nearly all interactive titles in 2024.

Spirit Crossing Gameplay on Netflix on TV (photo credits: Netflix)

From the consumer side, this could alter how families and friends use their TVs. Game nights could begin and end with Netflix, reducing the friction between watching and playing. 

It’s no longer just about bingeing series that viewers might expect from Netflix, as the company is facilitating deeper, shared experiences on the same screen.

Netflix’s gamble is bold. If successful, its TV-based games could shift the balance in entertainment ecosystems.

On the other hand, if results disappoint, critics will point to overreach.

Either way, this initiative deserves attention as the next chapter in platform evolution.