YouTube is now offering its Premium subscribers a unique gaming experience, we’ll check how to play games on YouTube below, but let’s talk about the details first.
Meet YouTube Playables
This feature, aptly named Playables, allows users to engage in a variety of online games directly through YouTube’s mobile and desktop apps. This innovative addition, initially trialed with a select group of users in September, has recently been announced to all Premium members.
The concept is simple yet revolutionary: 37 mini-games are embedded within YouTube itself, eliminating the need for separate downloads or installations.
The range of games offered under Playables is designed to appeal to a broad audience, featuring easy-to-play titles like Angry Birds Showdown, Brain Out, Daily Solitaire, and The Daily Crossword, along with several arcade classics. However, this gaming venture may be a temporary one. As per the notification sent to Premium users, these games are set to be available only until March 28th, 2024. For the moment, Premium subscribers can explore and enjoy the entire collection of games in the Playables section located under the Explore tab on YouTube.
YouTube’s venture into gaming with Playables places it among numerous tech giants who have ventured into the gaming sector, with varied degrees of success. This trend of diversification has seen tech companies, traditionally not associated with gaming, attempt to carve out a niche in this lucrative market. The path, however, has been fraught with challenges. A notable example is Google’s Stadia, a much-hyped project that ultimately met its demise in January. Similarly, Amazon recently scaled back its ambitions in gaming, cutting over 130 jobs in its free games division and shifting its focus.
The gaming endeavors of other tech firms have also had their ups and downs. TikTok, for instance, initially announced a significant push into gaming, only to have its parent company ByteDance lay off about 1,000 employees from its gaming unit. Despite these setbacks, other companies remain undeterred. Meta, for example, continues to invest in its Instant Games platform, a project that has been evolving for nearly seven years.
Recently, it introduced a new model allowing developers to beta test their games directly on Facebook. Netflix, too, has been actively releasing games, focusing exclusively on mobile platforms. While reviews are mixed, the streaming giant is ambitiously looking to branch out into cloud gaming, though it might be some time before these offerings become widely available.
This pattern of trial, error, and persistence reflects the tech industry’s recognition of gaming’s vast potential and its willingness to adapt and innovate in this dynamic field.
How to play games on YouTube?
Engaging with games on YouTube is now an exciting reality, thanks to the introduction of “Playables.” If you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber, you can easily access this feature. Here’s a simple guide on how to get started:
Accessing Playables on mobile devices:
- Open the YouTube app on your iOS or Android device.
- Navigate to the ‘You’ tab.
- Tap the ‘Settings’ icon in the top right corner.
- Select ‘Try new features’.
- Enable the ‘Play games on YouTube’ option.
Accessing Playables on the web:
- Visit www.youtube.com on your web browser.
- Click your profile picture located in the top right corner.
- Choose ‘Your Premium benefits’.
- Here, you’ll find the option to enable ‘Play games on YouTube’.
Exploring the Playables:
- On mobile, tap the ‘explore’ icon, scroll down, and select ‘Playables’.
- On the web, click the hamburger icon on the top left to open the Explore menu, then find ‘Playables’.
- A wide array of games will be displayed, ready for you to dive into.
List of available games on YouTube Playables
Enjoy a diverse selection of games including strategy, puzzles, sports, and more. Some of the highlights include:
- State.io
- Brain Out
- 8 Ball Billiards Classic
- Color Burst 3D
- Stack Bounce
- Daily Crossword
- Daily Solitaire
- Color Pixel Art
- Carrom Clash
- Cannon Balls 3D
- Basketball FRVR
- Angry Birds Showdown
- Cube Tower
- Crazy Caves
- Scooter Extreme
YouTube’s foray into interactive gaming with “Playables” is part of a broader strategy where the platform often introduces experimental features to its Premium subscribers before making a final decision on their integration. This initiative is not just about appealing to the gaming community but more about enhancing the value of its subscription service.
With the recent increase in the cost of the Premium plan, along with similar price hikes by other streaming giants like Netflix and Apple, these additional features like Playables and the conversational AI tool for interactive video queries become crucial. They may not be the sole reason for users to opt for YouTube Premium, but they certainly add an enticing element that could sway those contemplating whether to maintain their subscriptions.
