GoKawiilEdgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Netflix now appears to support 4K streaming in Google Chrome on Windows, eliminating the need to switch to Microsoft Edge for Ultra HD playback.
You’ll still need compatible hardware, including Windows 11, a Netflix Premium plan, a supported GPU or processor, and a 4K HDCP 2.2-compatible display.
The upgrade doesn’t extend to macOS, where Chrome remains limited to 1080p and Safari is still required for 4K Netflix streaming.
If you’re paying extra for Netflix‘s Premium plan, you’d probably expect to get the best picture quality no matter which browser you use. But for Chrome users, that hasn’t really been the case. Watching Netflix in 4K has traditionally meant opening Microsoft Edge on Windows or Safari on a Mac, while Chrome users were left with lower-resolution streams despite having capable hardware. That restriction now appears to be disappearing.
According to an X post shared by Saurax (via The Mac Observer), Netflix now supports 4K playback in Google Chrome on Windows, provided you’re running Chrome version 117. The post also includes a screenshot showing 4K playback working in Chrome, something that previously wasn’t possible for most users.
If you spend most of your day in Chrome, this is welcome news. It means you may no longer have to switch browsers to watch a movie or TV show at the highest available quality. Of course, Chrome itself isn’t the only requirement. Netflix still expects your PC to tick several boxes before it unlocks 4K playback.
For starters, you’ll need a Windows 11 PC that’s fully up to date, along with Netflix’s Premium plan that includes Ultra HD streaming. Beyond that, your hardware matters too. Supported Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050-or-newer graphics cards, AMD Radeon RX 400-series GPUs or later, and compatible Intel or AMD processors are among the supported configurations. Depending on your setup, you may also need Microsoft’s HEVC Video Extensions installed.
Your display also has to qualify. Netflix requires a 4K screen running at 60Hz, while external monitors must support HDCP 2.2 copy protection. Finally, make sure your playback settings on Netflix are set to Auto or High, and that you’re actually watching content available in 4K Ultra HD.
There’s one catch worth noting. The change appears to be limited to Windows. If you’re watching Netflix on a Mac, Chrome still maxes out at 1080p, so Safari remains the only browser that can stream Netflix in 4K on compatible macOS devices. For Chrome users on Windows, though, you’re finally able to watch Netflix in the quality you’re paying for without changing browsers.
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