Youtube Gaming has officially reached Malaysia as part of a larger expansion plan into the APAC region. The streaming service is an offshoot of Youtube itself, and caters specifically to gaming content. It also contains Youtube’s answer to Twitch’s streaming service.
To be fair, Youtube Gaming has been available since its inception back in 2014; and users have not been blocked from accessing its content. However, the official expansion into Malaysia means that the features are expanded; especially for content creators.
For viewers, this means an easier time looking for gaming related content. The search feature strips away all results that have nothing to do with gaming; returning only content that may be relevant to what the user is looking for. Videos can also be sorted by language and location, making it easier to find local streamers and content creators.
Content creators will be the biggest winners when it comes to Youtube Gaming. The new app allows users to stream mobile games through a UI overlay; providing a quick and easy way to record gameplay from smartphones. Google believes that making it easier to stream mobile games is a massive step in catering to wants of viewers. Whether this works is a completely different story, but there just might be a huge audience who want to watch others play Clash Royale.
Finally, Youtube Gaming includes an optional subscription plan for creators. It functions in a manner similar to Patreon, where most of the subscription fee goes to the owner of the particular channel. Google was quick to point out that no actual videos will be hidden behind a paywall, and it is up to the content creators to decide how to reward subscribers.
Youtube Gaming can be accessed through the web at gaming.youtube.com, or through the Android and iOS app. It should be noted that only the Android app supports streaming and recording of gameplay.
