Netflix has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2023. The streaming service has been canceling original shows left and right, scrapping completed movies before they debut, and is preparing to crack down on password sharing in the coming weeks. Subscribers aren’t exactly thrilled with the choices Netflix has been making, but maybe a few upgraded features for Netflix Premium plan users will be enough to distract us from all the turmoil.
New features for Netflix Premium
On Wednesday, Netflix introduced two features for members currently on the Premium plan and those that upgrade to the service’s most expensive plan in the future.
The first is spatial audio, which Netflix describes as “a more cinematic audio experience on any device, with no special equipment needed.” Whether you’re watching on your TV, your phone, or your computer, you will be able to hear audio all around you. According to Netflix, spatial audio is already available on more than 700 titles, including Stranger Things, The Watcher, Wednesday, and Glass Onion. You can listen to the feature in action in the video below:
If you want to find titles that support this new feature, just type “spatial audio” into the search bar on Netflix. Every supported title will pop up in the search.
The second new feature is more of an upgrade. Starting today, anyone on Netflix’s Premium plan can download content to watch offline on up to six devices. That’s up from four devices previously. Supported devices include iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 9.0 or later, Android phone or tablet running Android 4.4.2 or later, Amazon Fire tablet running Fire OS 4.0 or later, Windows 10 (version 1709 or later) or Windows 11 tablet or computer, and any Chromebook and Chromebox computer using the Netflix app from the Google Play Store.
These are welcome additions to Netflix’s most expensive plan, but keep in mind that the Premium plan costs $19.99 a month. That’s a few bucks more than the Disney Plus Premium and Peacock Premium plans combined, just for some perspective.
