Netflix is by far the most popular streaming service and people use a variety of different devices to watch their favorite shows and movies from, yet one popular device owned by 87 million people will soon be cut off from support.
The prevalence of smart TVs means that most people don't need an auxiliary device these days to watch Netflix or use similar streaming apps, yet there are still plenty of people who prefer to watch from a separate gadget for a variety of reasons.
You might prefer the remote control offered by the device compared to your standard (and often clunky) TV remote, or you might want something a little quicker as cheaper smart TVs can become incredibly sluggish in a short amount of time.
One of the most popular options for this are games consoles, as they not only offer an improved browsing experience through the use of a controller, but they're often much faster and you likely already have it on and ready to go before you start your next TV binge.
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Most people have moved onto the PS4 or PS5, but there are still a surprising number of individuals relying on the PS3 for Netflix — even if it's just on a second TV in another part of your house.
As shared by the Daily Mail, Netflix has unfortunately announced that support for Netflix on the PlayStation 3 will soon come to an end, with the service terminating completely on Sony's seventh generation console on March 2, 2026.
One particular niche that tragically no longer exists is the experience of watching Netflix on a 4:3 aspect ratio CRT screen, which a mournful post shared on the r/PS3 subreddit explains.
"For me (and probably a few other weirdos here), the PS4 was the last truly comfortable way to watch Netflix properly in 4:3 on a CRT without messing around with convertors, weird aspect ratio stretching, or modern devices forcing everything into widescreen."
They add that "it was simply. It just worked. Boot up the PS3, launch Netflix, and enjoy older shows the way they were meant to look. Now that it's gone... what's next?"
It certainly sounds like an appealing, albeit incredibly niche, prospect that would enhance shows that were originally meant for screens like this, yet now people have been left without a means to enjoy the experience, and little time to prepare for change too.
Some have speculated that a key reason behind the removal of support is because the PS3 is the last surviving device that allowed individuals to record Netflix content onto VHS tapes, effectively bypassing the need to pay for the service so long as you're alright with watching at a lower resolution.