Adding Windows 10 Netflix and Hulu Apps to Steam

[Lady Selkie]

Ahoy!

I'm having difficulty trying to add the Windows Store apps for Netflix and Hulu to Steam. The typical shortcut creation option doesn't seem to be working as the desktop shortcuts will not appear when I try to browse for them.

Has anyone had any success with this?

Cheers!

[Spawn of Totoro]

You can't. Those "apps" are from the windows store and can only be executed on their own or by windows. Windows 10 will allow a System32 program to run them.

[Lady Selkie]

Would a batch file work? Any thoughts on how to get that working?

[Kesac]

There's a way to do it, but it involves Powershell scripts. I don't have any links for you, but you might try looking in that direction.

Edit: For Netflix, you could try this command (Don't have Netflix installed, but...):

" start netflix: "

Edit 2: Also, Steam will only allow you to add .exe files, so you'll need to at the very least have some sort of .exe wrapper.

[Kesac]

I've found a tricky way for Netfix, but it's for power users only. I wouldn't advise doing this unless you're a bit comfortable with coding, but you shouldn't screw anything up with this.

First, you'll need to download Visual Studio (Community or Express C# should do. Other languages should work, you'll just need to adjust the code.) (Since Steam requires an .exe file, you'll need to write a simple console application.)

Create a new console application (C#), and replace the main function with the following:

static void Main(string[] args)
{
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(@"c:\windows\explorer.exe", "netflix:");
}

Compile the application, and you should be able to use that for Steam.

Edit: How this works: Netflix registers a URL handler for "netflix" URLs. Typing netflix: into Explorer or Edge will launch the Netflix app. What this line of code does is starts Windows Explorer, and tells it to go to the URL "netflix:" -- which it has registered to open in the Netflix App.

[Lady Selkie]

Swell! I'll give that a try tonight.

[Xyberviri]

If you can hit windows key and type "netflix:" and hit okay and it launches netflix then this should work for you

just create a .cmd file called "NetFlix.cmd"

Then just add the following to its contents:

@ECHO Off
CLS
cmd /c start netflix:

I tested this with a file called "actioncenter.cmd" and the contents is
"cmd /c start ms-actioncenter:"
when i double click on it my windows 10 action center opens.
no programing (ish) experience required.

[Kesac]

Originally posted by Xyberviri:

If you can hit windows key and type "netflix:" and hit okay and it launches netflix then this should work for you

just create a .cmd file called "NetFlix.cmd"

Then just add the following to its contents:

@ECHO Off
CLS
cmd /c start netflix:

I tested this with a file called "actioncenter.cmd" and the contents is
"cmd /c start ms-actioncenter:"
when i double click on it my windows 10 action center opens.
no programing (ish) experience required.

That would work, except that Steam requires .exe files in order to be added via "Add a Game". Thus creating a simple program is required.

[Tev]

Originally posted by Kesac:

Originally posted by Xyberviri:

If you can hit windows key and type "netflix:" and hit okay and it launches netflix then this should work for you

just create a .cmd file called "NetFlix.cmd"

Then just add the following to its contents:

@ECHO Off
CLS
cmd /c start netflix:

I tested this with a file called "actioncenter.cmd" and the contents is
"cmd /c start ms-actioncenter:"
when i double click on it my windows 10 action center opens.
no programing (ish) experience required.

That would work, except that Steam requires .exe files in order to be added via "Add a Game". Thus creating a simple program is required.

You can always add an .exe and change the address afterwards from the game's [Properties] under Steam.

So, you can add .bat files for example. That's what I did with Forza.

[XanthiN]

Originally posted by Kesac:

That would work, except that Steam requires .exe files in order to be added via "Add a Game". Thus creating a simple program is required.

Use Bat-to-Exe programs.

For example:
https://bat2exe.net/

It makes executable program from cmd or bat files.

Problem is;Steam displays "Netflix - in game", but disappears after seconds.