Streaming giant Netflix has released a new 'built from the ground up' app for the forthcoming Windows 8 OS.
Microsoft's new software is not available for another two weeks, but the Netflix app now sits proudly in the Windows 8 store and can now be downloaded by those using preview versions of Windows 8.
"This Netflix App was built from the ground up to take advantage of new Windows 8 design principles and video player features," said the company on Friday.
The made-for-touchscreens application possesses a few of the design hallmarks of both Windows 8 and versions of the Netflix app for iOS and Android devices.
Touchscreen focus
Naturally, you'll stil be able to use the app on keyboards, but the UI is definitely focused on Windows 8 tablets like the Microsoft Surface and touchscreen PCs, rather than traditional desktop PCs.
"On the Netflix home page, for example, pinch to zoom out and get a birds-eye view of the catalog (or hit Control+Minus on the keyboard, or Control+Scrollwheel on the mouse)," Netflix explained.
The company has also pointed out that the app is also more efficient than its previous offerings and will allow users to get more viewing from a single charge.
Netflix said: "We accomplished this by taking advantage of new graphics acceleration capabilities in Windows 8, so playing HD movies barely uses your CPU.
"Our app is very thrifty with battery usage, too, so you can watch more on a single charge."
So as not to upset traditional Windows users too much, it seems likely that Netflix may launch a secondary app for desktop users that doesn't involve as much clicking and dragging. Then again, there's always Netflix.com for that crowd.
Via PC Mag
