Netflix Adds 4K Playback to Google Chrome on Windows 11 and Chromebooks
The change lets some Chrome users avoid switching browsers for Ultra HD by enabling playback only on devices that meet specific OS, hardware, codec and subscription requirements.
Overview
- The change surfaced on social media and was confirmed by an update to Netflix’s support page on Wednesday, which says Chrome can now play 4K on compatible Windows 11 PCs and on Chromebooks.
- Netflix limits Chrome 4K to Windows 11 machines and select Chromebooks and excludes macOS, Linux and Windows 10 from Chrome-based Ultra HD playback.
- Users must meet multiple technical requirements including an Intel 7th Gen or newer CPU (or recent AMD Ryzen), an Nvidia GTX 1050/AMD RX 400-series GPU or later, HEVC decoding and sometimes Microsoft’s HEVC Video Extensions, plus a 4K@60Hz display with HDCP 2.2.
- Subscribers also need Netflix’s Ultra HD (Premium) plan and to choose Auto or High playback settings for titles that are available in 4K, so many Chrome users will still be unable to stream Ultra HD despite the browser update.
- The platform limits reflect DRM and codec dependencies tied to OS-level APIs and hardware acceleration, a pattern that means broader Chrome support will depend on further work from Netflix, Google and device makers and could change who chooses which browser for streaming.