Earlier this week, Netflix stated that it now offers its new gaming service in over 190 countries, including the U.S. and Canada. For the time being, Netflix games are only available on Android smartphones and tablets, though IOS versions will also roll out over the next several months. At this time, Netflix offers only a limited number of games, and all require the use of touch controls on the mobile device. Gaming controllers are not yet supported, limiting the scope of games and gaming experiences. Any user with a valid subscription can play Netflix games, without incurring additional charges and seeing in-app advertisements. Last July, Netflix announced that it would enter the online gaming market, beginning with games for mobile devices.
After experiencing rapid growth during the early months of COVID, Netflix has recently struggled with a marked slowdown adding new subscribers, especially in its home U.S. market. Analysts have concluded that the streaming giant may have exhausted its potential to continue growth in its subscriber count based on movie and series programming, and may need to look to new service offerings such as gaming in order to lure new subscribers.
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