If you want to be able to stream Netflix in 4K through your browser, you're going to have to use Edge, as Microsoft announced today. Unfortunately, the feature probably won't work with your PC, as you'll need a device that uses one of Intel's seventh-generation Kaby Lake processors and of course, a 4K display.
There aren't even a lot of these devices on the market yet. Even Microsoft's own Surface Studio - which was announced less than a month ago and starts at $2,999 - uses sixth-generation Skylake processors.
It's also worth noting that while Edge is the only browser to support the feature, the browser isn't the only way to watch Netflix in 4K resolution. Here's a list of devices that support 4K streaming through the Netflix app:
Air 7410X (Waoo! in Denmark)
Amazon Fire TV (New Version)
British Telecom - BT DTRT-4000
Broadcom VIP5662 (Bell Canada)
Chromecast Ultra
Dish Hopper 3
Fetch Mighty
Nvidia Shield
Orange Livebox Play 4
PCCW nowOne
Roku 4
Sagem 4K (Totalplay in Mexico)
TiVo Bolt
Virgin Media - V6 powered by TiVo
Xbox One S
There are also a number of smart TVs and Blu-ray players that support it:
Hisense TV or streaming media player
Insignia TV or Blu-ray player
LG TV, Blu-ray player or set-top box
Panasonic TV or Blu-ray player
Philips TV or Blu-ray player
Roku TV
Samsung TV or Blu-ray player
Sharp TV or Blu-ray player
Sony TV or Blu-ray player
Tatung TV
TCL TV
Toshiba TV or Blu-ray player
Vestel TV
Vizio TV or Blu-ray player
The inclusion of the Xbox One S is interesting, although not surprising. But the Windows Store lists Netflix as being available on PCs, phones, and Xbox. In theory, if you have a 4K PC that doesn't have Kaby Lake, you should be able to use the app to stream, even though it's not listed on Netflix's official list. We've reached out to the company for confirmation of this.
It does put one over on Mac users though, as even someone with a 4K or 5K iMac won't be able to stream Netflix, as there isn't even a downloadable app for macOS. Edge users will maintain bragging rights in that area.
Back in July, Microsoft ran a test among four browsers, claiming that Edge offers the best battery life while streaming video. Not only that, but other than Internet Explorer and Safari, it was the only one that could stream 1080p.
Update: Netflix issued the following statement to Neowin regarding 4K playback in the UWP app.
Our Ultra HD 4K support works the same in our Windows app as in the Edge browser. It relies on hardware platform features, which on Windows 10 requires Intel Kaby Lake CPUs.
Generally, 4K is supported on a range of Smart TV and set-top boxes, including the Xbox One S and others. Netflix is not yet supported in 4K on mobile devices.
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