Netflix hopes to expands its horizons to the gaming universe as it attempts to develop new partnerships with Playstation. Earlier this year, Netflix recently appointed ex-EA and Facebook Gaming Executive Mike Verdu, expert in gaming content, to lead a gaming division. There were rumors of their own console but there has been nothing concrete in the works. Netflix seems to currently be recruiting for game development related career roles on its website, although they have yet to decide on any game development strategy at this time.

However, it has been discovered that the California-based company has created a datamine of content that relates to Playstation content. Dataminer Steve Moser shared his findings on Twitter that linked imagery related to PlayStation products in the code of Netflix’s iOS app. 

Moser suggests the collaboration in a speculative approach, that within the code, the gaming portion of Netflix currently has the codename ‘Shark’ in placement of the PlayStation IP. 

Connected to this source code includes a logo for a service called ‘N Game’, as well as tributes to non-brand specific Playstation DualSense controllers as well as artwork of the 2020 release Ghost of Tsushima. 

This is not the first collaboration between Sony and Netflix. It is no secret that Netflix already has signed a multi-year US licensing agreement with Sony, where Playstation’s film adaptation Uncharted will premiere exclusively on the streaming service, as a “first pay window.” Netflix has a lineup of video game content, with the recent release of Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, and series such as Sonic Prime, an Assassin’s Creed adaptation, and The Witcher: Season 2.

Although nothing has been confirmed by either party, there is a safe assumption that Sony games will most likely be available to stream via Netflix when the platform finally takes the jump into the gaming sector. Netflix already has taken the first step by announcing a video game adaptation that will follow their popular series, “Stranger Things.” Since its inception, Netflix’s primary revenue driver is tied to every subscriber it brings in. 

As of April 2021, it was reported that Netflix has 208 million subscribers globally. Despite their high subscription numbers, the company has been looking to diversify, and video games seem to be the next big outlet.