NVIDIA working on Netflix 4K support, GTX 10 series only

In order to playback 4K content on Netflix, you need a few things: Windows 10, an Intel Kaby Lake-based CPU, and you have to use Microsoft's oh-so-meh Edge browser. If you don't, Netflix will load up to 1080p and that's it.

But, things are changing - slowly, and in not such a good way with NVIDIA preparing Netflix 4K support in the near future. In order for the Netflix 4K content support, you'll need:

• NVIDIA Driver version exclusively provided via Microsoft Windows Insider Program (currently 381.74).
• NVIDIA Pascal based GPU, GeForce GTX 1050 or greater with minimum 3GB memory
• HDCP 2.2 capable monitor(s). Please see the additional section below if you are using multiple monitors and/or multiple GPUs.
• Microsoft Edge browser or Netflix app from the Windows Store
• 25Mbps (or faster) internet connection.

NVIDIA seems to be providing very access to Netflix 4K content, as there are some large caveats right now: you need a GTX 10 series card with over 3GB of RAM, and now you can use the Netflix app from the Windows Store (instead of requiring Edge only), and you won't be able to use SLI at all.

It's not just SLI users that get the elbow, but multi-monitor users on a single GPU or multi-GPU system where the GPUs will need to not be linked together (SLI), for 4K content to flow. Secondly, all of the active monitors need to be HDCP 2.2 compliant, and if they're not (or even one of them isn't) then the Netflix quality will be locked to 1080p.

This shift is showing NVIDIA is committed to 4K content, and has officially shown AMD up with their new Radeon RX 500 series which can't run Netflix content in 4K... for now. Let's hope Vega gets some built-in Netflix 4K love.