Revolutionary YouTube Gaming Experience Takes Mobile and Desktop by Storm

Highlights

YouTube has launched a new gaming service called Playables, even after the Google Stadia shutdown, showing its commitment to online gaming.

Playables is a collection of games that can be enjoyed directly on YouTube. It is comparable to Google Play Store's Instant Apps but offers complete access to various games. The extent of the Playables test is ambiguous, and there is no assurance of its global availability. YouTube frequently experiments with features that may not be eventually put into action.

Content A new YouTube gaming service for desktops and mobile devices, called Playables, is now rolling out to select users.

Playables, a new gaming service by YouTube, is now being rolled out to a limited number of users for desktop and mobile devices.

Content Its soft launch indicates that the Google Stadia shutdown from early 2023 did not dissuade YouTube from continuing to experiment with online gaming offerings.

The soft launch of Playables suggests that YouTube remains committed to exploring online gaming options, despite the closure of Google Stadia in early 2023.

Content The Playables platform has been in the works for a while now, having first been mentioned in a late June report claiming that YouTube started testing the new online gaming service by inviting its own employees and Google staffers to join it.

The Playables platform has been in development for some time and was initially mentioned in a late June report. According to the report, YouTube began testing the service by inviting its own employees and Google staff to participate.

An update was made on the YouTube Help pages, which was first noticed by 9to5Google. In this update, a YouTube community manager disclosed that the company started introducing the service to a select group of users on September 5. Those who are part of the test should now be able to see the new Playables section on their YouTube home feed. This section functions as a collection of games that can be played directly on YouTube.

The solution appears to have some similarities to Instant Apps, a feature introduced by Google Play Store in 2016. Instant Apps allow users to try out Android games and apps without installing them, but they are only demos. In contrast, Playables on YouTube are fully available to users. Another advantage of Playables is that they can be accessed from both desktop browsers and mobile devices, making them platform-agnostic. YouTube typically tests new features by releasing them to random users in specific markets, but it is unclear how widespread the Playables test is. Users who want to confirm if they have access to this feature should ensure they are logged into their Google Account on YouTube before checking their device.

The soft launch of Playables does not guarantee a global rollout, as YouTube often experiments with features that may not be implemented. YouTube has a history of both discontinuing and shutting down features, such as the discontinuation of YouTube Stories in June 2023. Playables may not be Alphabet's first online gaming experiment after Stadia, as a recent report suggests that Google has been collaborating with publishers on new cloud gaming projects since March 2023.