Netflix has released a new app called Playgrounds, essentially serving as an app for kids to play games. While it’s always been possible for parents to set up kids’ profiles and monitor their activity and access content on the main Netflix app, this new app throws a couple of useful features in the mix.
For starters, Netflix Playgrounds would allow parents to track the engagement frequency of a game. This essentially allows parents to check which games their child is no longer playing, making it easy for them to restore storage in their devices by removing games that are left untouched for a while.
This is notably important as it ties into another key feature of Netflix Playgrounds: Offline availability. All games and activities on the new app will be stored locally on the device, meaning that they can be played offline. That’s a neat feature to have while traveling, during a long flight, or anywhere with network restrictions.
Netflix misses chance to gain advantage over Apple Arcade
Should Netflix have built a separate app for games?
It’s an interesting move by Netflix to move all kids’ gaming content to a separate app designed specifically for children under 8. There’s a large (and growing) library of Netflix games that are accessible through the main Netflix app.
Netflix could have built a separate Netflix Games app and provided the option to add a kids profile there, similar to how their primary applications work across all devices. It’d probably add more value since having the complete library of games on the phone would make it useful for both a parent and their kids.
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Nonetheless, it’s a step in the right direction for Netflix as it makes it easier for parents to provide Netflix games access to children on their own devices. However, there was a chance to bring a standalone app that works for both adults and kids alike, especially when its gaming subscription competition, Apple Arcade, is also not available as a separate app.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $8/month
Simultaneous streams
Two or four
