Netflix CEO: Gaming Still Core in Five Years, Cloud Over Mobile

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said at the Screentime event this week that he expects Netflix to still be hosting games in five years. He framed the company's mobile gaming efforts as a gateway to cloud gaming, which he said Netflix is far more interested in.

Sarandos added that Netflix has no specific plans to buy more game studios, but he did not rule out acquisitions. He said the company prefers to grow organically rather than buying companies to spur growth, and that it would consider buying game studios only if they complement its wider business goals.

The comments come after Netflix previously aimed to make big AAA games and hired prominent names to do so, but later wound down those efforts, closing studios and laying off staff. Netflix has said it is still very early days for its gaming output and that it has "tons more work to do."

Other industry figures have weighed in on the direction of game streaming. Take-Two head Strauss Zelnick recently said he thinks the industry will be in commercial streaming mode within three years, while Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently said Xbox is not for sale.

Netflix's gaming strategy has also drawn attention amid broader business moves. Netflix offered to buy Warner Bros. Discovery for many billions of dollars before Paramount made a deal, and Netflix stock has crashed more than 25% in 2026 so far. Separately, Microsoft has reportedly canceled its new cloud gaming controller ahead of price hikes to the service.