One of the big innovations YouTube has trumpeted in the past year is the addition of high frame rates, which allow content creators on the site to release smooth, seamless videos. In particular, gamers, who make up one of YouTube’s largest communities, have released their videos in 48 and 60 frames-per-second (FPS) in order to provide a less juddery experience for their viewers.
Now, YouTube is catering to its gamers even more. It has announced an update to its high frame-rate playback that allows its users to live stream footage at 48 and 60 FPS.
As YouTube explains in an introductory blog post, it teamed up with three video game capture programs in order to give streamers the option to upload footage to YouTube at up to 60 FPS. “We’ll also make your stream available in 30fps on devices where high frame rate viewing is not yet available,” adds the blog post, “while we work to expand support in the coming weeks.”
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At the same time, YouTube has also announced HTML5 playback for its live streams. That update allows viewers to skip around active live streams and watch them at variable playback speeds, as is already possible with normal YouTube videos.
By expanding it’s live stream services, YouTube is looking to catch up to Twitch, which already allows its users to stream video at high frame-rates. Several outlets have termed YouTube’s update as part of its plan “to take on Twitch.” Previously, rumors swirled about a potential update to YouTube’s live streaming capabilities, through which it could challenge Twitch’s popular service.
Will these updates bring more video game streamers to YouTube? Or will those streamers stay loyal to Twitch, which YouTube tried to purchase in 2014? You can keep tabs on YouTube’s streaming community by subscribing to this page, on which the video site shares a collection of notable live programs.
