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.

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Top Rated Comments

DFZD Avatar
44 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
44 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
44 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
44 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
44 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
44 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)