Twitch Wants to Become the Netflix of Gaming - Testing of a New Feature Has Begun

Twitch Wants to Become the Netflix of Gaming - Testing of a New Feature Has Begun

The platform is testing a feature that allows users to launch games directly in the browser without installation and without leaving the stream.

The feature, tentatively called GameLift, is currently available to a limited number of users. At launch, users can try a demo of Reanimal, with about 20 minutes of gameplay directly on the Twitch website.

This is a major change for the platform. Previously, Twitch was only a service for watching streams, but now a viewer will be able to launch a game directly from a stream through the website.

In essence, Twitch is moving closer to a cloud gaming format at the intersection of streaming and cloud gaming. If the feature is improved, it will change the way games are consumed and could become a new direction for monetization: not only showcasing games, but also distributing them.

For now, the feature is available only on a limited basis. Twitch has not said whether it will appear for all users or when. But the boundary between watching and playing on the platform is gradually disappearing.

Dmitry Krivov
24 Apr 08:00