Netflix and Hulu universal apps are now live on Xbox One Preview

By John Callaham
published

Members of the Xbox Preview program can now download and use the new Netflix and Hulu UWP apps for the Xbox One console.

Both apps were revealed as going live by Microsoft's Brad Rossetti on his Twitter account:

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A listing for the Netflix UWP app was spotted in the Xbox Store by preview members several days ago along with the Hulu app. We will likely see even more of these apps appear in the store for Xbox One Preview members, and they should become available for all Xbox One owners when the summer update for the console is released in the near future.

John Callaham
John Callaham
40 Comments
  • Hopefully this version of Netflix on the Xbox one will fix its many problems
  • Come on Netflix UWP to phone with Continuum support!!
  • OMG! Yes!
  • I was about to say the same thing. Their UWP on desktop is great! How come they still haven't brought it to mobile? Isn't the entire point of UWP that it's really easy to port? Plus Netflix has done a pretty good job of supporting all platforms. What gives, Netflix? Why no UWP on Mobile?
  • It's ok for desktop but I prefer using browser since then I can double click for full screen and use arrow keys to rew/ffwd
  • It changed nothing!
  • I'm curious why this is seem as such a big deal, apps like Netflix have been on the Xbox for years so I don't see what's special.
  • The app specifically, no. App support for UWP that can be loaded on all devices adds to the W10 platform as a whole.
  • I'm curious why this is seem as such a big deal
    Because you don't make software for a living. The notion that Netflix can now make one app for Xbox and PC (and for Mobile) it a heck of a lot easier than maintaining separate code for each. It also means more frequent updates. It's a big deal for the platform and you'll see a lot of apps hit the Xbox real soon. More once they open it up to third-party developers and not just early partners. If you don't see the implications of all of that than I'm afraid you never will.
  • "It also means more frequent updates. It's a big deal for the platform and you'll see a lot of apps hit the Xbox real soon". It also means many apps that used to have Xbox One-specific features will now be nerfed (like both the Netflix and Hulu apps on Xbox One are, compared to how they used to be). While it's nice we'll see an influx of new apps on Xbox (and, ideally, W10 Mobile, although that doesn't seem to be happening much right now), losing the features we care about in the apps we care about is a worrisome side effect. I prefer my pre-NXOE Xbox One and would roll back in an instant if they let me.
  • That's up to the devs though. They can of course still provide specific features based on the system the app is running on.
  • Yes, but they're not (likely because it defeats the purpose of UWP by having to individually add features to the code for each platform in the family). That's what is worrisome.
  • You misinterpret the purpose. UWP makes cross platform apps maintainable. The shared code is the most part. Adding specific features and layouts is the only thing required in addition.
  • I'm just curious, can you provide examples of Xbox One specific features that existed in previous apps that are nerfed or don't exist in the UWP app?
  • Still waiting on the uwp Pandora app to be installable
  • Netflix! I don't care about your Xbox App, gimme your Windows 10 phone app!!
  • Potentially those "two" apps are the same thing.
  • Yeah, but not being able to use it on one platform is another.
  • And Yet.. We Can't Get A Windows 10 Phone App... Damn Shame
  • "Even"? My guess is that there is more tweaking needed for the UI to look good on a 5" screen than a 50" screen. It will come.
  • Hm. Since netflix and hulu started blocking VPN its time to stop giving them my money. Netflix in my country is a joke. Pitty
  • Hulu works fine with getflix. As does Netflix (US server). Netflix does sometimes go down but getflix seem to get it back up again each time
  • Are the achivements discontinued in this version (like in the Movies and TV app)?  
  • I already am using the Netflix UWP app since yesterday. It was already available in the Xbox store but could not be downloaded.
  • The only difference I can see with the Netflix app is that it no longer seems to support voice control with the Kinect.  Hopefully they'll bring this back in a future update.
  • They won't :( the "say what you see" is no longer supported. Hopefully people will be a bit vocal and Microsoft will add it in to the new SDK
  • I hope the Netflix UWP will be available for the Phone and bring back to PC.
  • Can anyone confirm that voice commands still work in the app. Hoping that doesn't change.
  • They do not work for me. Looks like UWP on Xbox One is resulting in inferior versions of apps that no longer take advantage of Xbox One's unique features. Not good.
  • The "Xbox Select" scenario is not supported in UWP apps at the moment. Voice in general is likely to move to a system closer to Windows 10 and mobile with Cortana integration. Voice controlled playback should still be possible
  • I have used "hey Cortana, select" in the current Netflix, HBO, YouTube, etc... And it works. Have you tried "hey Cortana, select" yet?
  • You're right you can - with old apps (also know as Xbox ADK apps, all written in JavaScript). If you try that with UWP you're going to be disappointed
  • "Voice controlled playback should still be possible" I tried "Xbox, pause" on the new Netflix app this morning and it didn't work. Not sure if it works with "Hey Cortana", as I disabled that in the Xbox Settings a week back or so. I don't like how this push for UWP is resulting in lost functionality we previously had from Xbox-specific features. More so, I hate how we don't have a choice about it. If I wanted to stay on Windows 8 instead of upgrading to Windows 10, I had that choice. I should have that same choice on Xbox One. If I had, I'd absolutely be on the pre-NXOE OS.
  • I don't disagree with you here. There are some fairly significant compromises specifically around the original kinect vision / voice control. I'm hopeful they will come back. As for the voice control, it's going to be down to devs to implement a new version themselves. Not easy but possible - it's no longer there out of the box
  • Actually just decided to investigate this a little. Voice controls such as pause and play should be working, expect Netflix need to fix this.
  • That's hopeful, I just hope that there is not some type of a limitation preventing uwp's from using voice commands within the apps. MS abandoning kinect was disappointing but the new version allows for Cortana commands to be done through a headset. That should encourage more dev's to take advantage of voice commands.
  • Looks like the new Hulu no longer supports snap mode
  • I'm assuming no snap feature on Xbox either then? Not having it is super annoying.
  • Snap is not supported in UWP. That and voice controls are going to be lost for these updates, hopefully not for long, if MS can bring them back in new SDK extensions
  • Updated both...and they look no different