A few weeks ago, YouTube declared war on ad blockers, notifying users that to continue watching videos on the platform, they needed to disable their ad blockers or subscribe to YouTube Premium, its paid service. This subscription service not only enables ad-free video viewing but also adds various features that enhance the user experience.
Now, YouTube Premium subscribers will enjoy a new benefit for their subscription. The latest exclusive feature arriving on the platform for paying users is “Playables,” allowing streaming gameplay of a selection of games (37, for now), accessible through the YouTube app or website.
The feature is being gradually rolled out to YouTube Premium users, who are receiving notifications informing them about this new function and enabling them to activate the Playables tab through the settings.
YouTube previously delved into the gaming world with a service called YouTube Gaming, showcasing gameplays, analyses, and reviews of various games. However, they eventually scrapped it due to “brand confusion” among users.
Google isn’t new to this field either, although its last venture into the gaming industry didn’t fare well. Earlier this year, the company permanently shut down the servers for Stadia, its cloud gaming platform that aimed to revolutionize the market but failed due to communication and marketing issues, among others (many others).
Now, YouTube has the opportunity to pick up where Stadia left off and offer users a feature allowing them to play games without leaving the platform. Will they manage it effectively, or will it end up as another discarded product by Google?
