🎮Netflix Games: A Subtle Yet Brilliant Disruption

by Alka Rathore

I don’t play a lot of video games. I’m not the target audience. But Netflix got me curious.

Recently, they quietly introduced something interesting: mobile games where your phone becomes the controller — and the game plays on your TV.

That one little shift? It completely changed how approachable the experience felt for someone like me. No need to buy a console, no complex setup — just open Netflix on TV, pair your phone, and play.

🧠 From a Product Manager's Brain: This Is Clean Disruption

Netflix didn’t just enter gaming. They redesigned the on-ramp to it.
They removed all the friction points that usually come with gaming:

• No console? ✅

• No separate game store? ✅

• No steep learning curve? ✅

• No need to explain “X to shoot, Y to cry, L2 to do nothing”? ✅✅✅

They took something familiar — the TV and the phone — and simply bridged them. It’s elegant. It’s obvious (in hindsight). And it speaks volumes about how well they understand user behavior.

🎯 What’s Actually Happening Here?

Netflix isn’t chasing the hardcore gamer. They're targeting the reluctant explorer. People like me who:

• Want fun without the overwhelm.

• Are curious but not committed.

• Just want to try a game the same way they try a new show.

It’s the same genius behind autoplay. Behind binge drops. Behind reality TV formats with zero barrier to entry.

Now, they’re applying that mindset to games.

🤔 But Wait — Is Netflix the First to Do This?

Nope.
Others have tried “mobile as controller”:

• Xbox SmartGlass

• Sony PlayLink

• Jackbox Games (a cult favorite)

• Google Stadia (RIP)

But none made it feel… natural. They felt like tech experiments. Netflix feels like an experience.

And let’s not forget:
This feature is still in beta and only available in select countries (Australia included now!). Which means it’s just the beginning.

🔮 Is This the Future of Gaming?

Maybe not all of gaming. But it’s definitely the future of casual, frictionless, streaming-first gaming — where:

• You don’t need gear.

• You don’t need instructions.

• You just play.

This is gaming entering the living room the way streaming entered cable. Subtly. Ubiquitously. One passive viewer at a time.

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💡 Final Thought: The Best Product Moves Don’t Yell. They Just Work.

Netflix didn’t drop a trailer. They dropped a moment of curiosity.
And that’s often all it takes.

As PMs, we chase innovation — but sometimes the smartest move is to use what people already have in their hands (literally) and meet them exactly where they are.

I came for Squid game.
I stayed for the game where you race through tunnels with a rainbow cat and a phone.

Good job, Netflix.