Netflix Gaming Service on iOS Likely to Offer Individual Games Through the App Store

Netflix will be required to enlist each game offered via its gaming service through the App Store for users to download and install, instead of providing an all-in-one experience within the Netflix app, due to Apple's rules, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

netflix games launch
Last year, Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules on gaming services became a central issue following a public spat between the Cupertino tech giant and Microsoft. Microsoft was looking to release its cloud-based gaming service, Xbox Cloud Gaming, via the ‌App Store‌ and offer all of its games playable through its app. Microsoft, like others, has been forced to release its service as a web experience for users on iOS.

Apple's updated guidelines prevent such an app from making it onto the store, requiring that developers enlist every game that would be offered through its app as a separate app on the ‌App Store‌, subjecting them to the platform's guidelines.

Netflix's service, named Netflix Games, currently operates under similar parameters on Android. While users can browse the games it has to offer via the Netflix app itself, users are redirected to the Google Play Store to actually install and download them. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's ‌Mark Gurman‌ suggests that the same approach will come to iOS.

Because of Apple's ban on all-in-one services, the current individual app implementation on Android of the Netflix service gives us a preview of how the Netflix offering will function on iOS.

Netflix has been actively testing games on iOS, and—according to code discovered by developer Steve Moser and shared with Power On—Netflix will release all of its games on Apple's App Store individually and let users launch the games via the Netflix app. They won't all be downloadable and playable within the app itself.

From a user's perspective, the experience is not as seamless and intuitive as Netflix, Microsoft, or even Meta would like. Apple operates its own gaming service, Apple Arcade, which is offered directly within the ‌App Store‌. The platform's rules may make it harder for its own gaming platform to face competition from other services.

Gurman writes that while the solution will work, it's not an approach that will put Netflix Games "in the best position to succeed." Netflix's service isn't currently cloud-based on Android or iOS, but that's expected to change on Android, and whether a cloud-based move will be possible on iOS is up to whether Apple will alter its ‌App Store‌ rules.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
tvOS 18 Thumb 1

Apple Releases tvOS 18.4.1

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS 18 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 18.4.1 comes two weeks after Apple released tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.4.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
iPhone Security Feature 25

Five iPhone Security Features You Should Be Using

Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15 pm PDT by
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options. If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning...
vision air cable

Images of Apple 'Vision Air' Power Cable Emerge Online

Thursday April 17, 2025 5:55 am PDT by
More images of a redesigned power cable allegedly for a future Apple "Vision Air" headset were today shared online by the prototype collector and leaker known as "Kosutami." Yesterday, the leaker explained that the Apple "Vision Air" will feature a thinner design and switch the battery enclosure and several of its internal structures to titanium to reduce the device's overall weight. Most of ...

Top Rated Comments

DFZD Avatar
45 months ago
If Apple really cares about Malware threats from sideloading, they should ensure proper checks to make sure you can install third party apps only from trusted 3rd party providers, like Epic Games, Netflix and in future Steam and Origin as well.

This whole BS about caring for its customers is seriously getting old now, Apple under Tim Cook has proved time and again that Apple always cares about its shareholders and occasionally about its customers, and that too when their shareholders are losing out.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MJaP Avatar
45 months ago
Coming soon, Apple to demand a cut of all website sales using the Safari browser as they are facilitating the sale through their platform, and then banning all other web browsers to protect their users as they cannot guarantee other browsers will supply the same safe browsing experience that their customer expect from Apple. Later Tim Cook buys Jeff Bezos as his personal grape peeler and then purchases the solar system. ?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abazigal Avatar
45 months ago
If Apple really cares about Malware threats from sideloading, they should ensure proper checks to make sure you can install third party apps only from trusted 3rd party providers, like Epic Games, Netflix and in future Steam and Origin as well.

This whole BS about caring for its customers is seriously getting old now, Apple under Tim Cook has proved time and again that Apple always cares about its shareholders and occasionally about its customers, and that too when their shareholders are losing out.
And what makes Epic and Netflix trusted?

Personally, I would rather have all games made available in one central location (the iOS App Store) than have to wage through multiple different app stores to locate the app I want.

This also means that Apple is able to better enforce their App Store rules, such as ATT and Sign In with Apple.

In this regard, Apple’s interests are pretty much aligned with my own as a consumer.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolbreeze2 Avatar
45 months ago

You do realize that Tim Cook is nowhere near as rich as Jeff Bezos right?
I think the point is Tim Cook would be potentially richer than Jess Bezos if Apple was allowed to collect a cut from website sales.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DFZD Avatar
45 months ago

Steam and Netflix are the only trusted 3rd party providers in that list. Epic is shady as all hell and Origin hasn't proven itself yet. If anything the only truly trusted 3rd party there is Steam and they aren't interested in mobile.
My point was that 3rd Party App Install has to be allowed now. It's time to open up the gates. Or the least Apple can do is to stop its fake worry for the users.

And as for Epic being untrustworthy. Sure they have been pretty dubious in the past but they are a registered company in US and are bound by US laws, there's no reason to believe they will allow malware on their stores, at least deliberately, and accidents do happen, its not like the App Store apps are all squeaky clean.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Havoc035 Avatar
45 months ago

Coming soon, Apple to demand a cut of all website sales using the Safari browser as they are facilitating the sale through their platform, and then banning all other web browsers to protect their users as they cannot guarantee other browsers will supply the same safe browsing experience that their customer expect from Apple. Later Tim Cook buys Jeff Bezos as his personal grape peeler and then purchases the solar system. ?
Apple doesn’t have anything to do with webshops selling products. But did you know that web hosting companies, e-commerce platforms and payment service providers also charge webshops? That’s because they provide a service for the shops, just like Apple does for apps by providing the App Store.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)