How to Watch ‘Squid Game’ With English Dub – And Is It Worth It?

The subs vs. dubs debate is back in full blaze, thanks to Netflix‘s explosively popular Squid Game. The show — which has done all but cause the great Facebook outage of 2021, with a Korean internet provider suing Netflix over traffic and a wild story about a random man receiving thousands of calls over the series — is already a widely discussed topic online, but the English translation debate is in full throttle. So, is it better to watch Squid Game subbed, dubbed, or with closed captioning? We can’t tell you the definitive answer, but we can certainly guide you on how to switch on Netflix and which option most Korean language speakers recommend.

The discourse began after a TikTok user posted a video criticizing Netflix’s subtitles on the show, which she calls “botched.” According to the post, the series sterilizes Han Min-yeon’s gangster character and misinterprets the meaning of “gganbu.” On the other hand, one Twitter user cited this as false information, saying the subtitles get better if you turn off the closed captioning option. So, Squid Game fans are reasonably confused over which option to select.

From subs to dubs, CC and beyond, here are the ins and outs of watching Squid Game in the English language.

Can you watch Squid Game with an English dubbing? How to watch Squid Game with English dub:

If you’re not looking to watch Squid Game with any English subtitles, Netflix does offer an English-dubbed version of the show. It’s a pretty easy switch. You’ll want to hover over the screen, and select the quote button at the bottom left of the screen. Then, under “Audio,” choose English.

You can still watch with subtitles, too. The show offers English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese along with English and Korean closed captioning. If you’re curious about the difference between subtitles and closed captioning, scroll down a bit further to find out what that is and which option is better.

Is watching Squid Game with English dub worth it?

This debate is one that really comes down to personal preference. Usually, folks advocate more for the subs side, saying that watching foreign content is better in its pure, unedited form. That said, thanks to Netflix’s subtitle issues, perhaps the dub is better. Is that the case?

No! On social media, folks are still saying that despite the subtitle issues, the dubbing is even worse.

Still, for folks who have trouble reading subtitles, the English dub is a viable option. But what about CC versus subtitles — is there a difference, and which is better?

Is there a difference between English subtitles and English closed captioning (CC)? Are subtitles or English CC better?

There is a major difference between the English subtitles and the English CC for the show. If you watch the English CC version — which is usually the option that’s automatically selected — you’re essentially watching the dubbed version of the series. English CC are meant for those who are deaf or heard of hearing, and are usually auto-generated. In this case, they’re pretty much all auto-generated from the dubbed version of the show.

The subtitles, on the other hand, are a more direct translation of what the show says. While they’re still not all entirely correct, they’re at least smidge better than the English CC.

What is the best way to watch Squid Game in English?

With the above considered, we’d highly suggest you watch Squid Game with English subtitles. The translation may be a little rough around the edges, but it’s the best option English speakers have (other than learning Korean). To watch with English subtitles, you’ll want to go down to the speech bubble again. Under “Audio,” select Korean [Original] and under “Subtitles,” select English — not English [CC].

Stream Squid Game on Netflix