YouTube is expanding the reach of its Twitch competitor with a push into South Asia. The video site’s YouTube Gaming app has arrived in India, Malaysia, and The Philippines.
The desktop version of YouTube Gaming has appealed to global audiences since its June 2015 launch, but the mobile version of the service has marched more slowly across the globe. After first premiering in the US and UK, it arrived in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland one month ago. Now, with the latest update, a new audience of gamers can access the app’s live streaming offerings on either iOS or Android.
The launch of the YouTube Gaming app in India takes advantage of the video site’s broadening appeal in South Asia. YouTube touted its “breakneck growth” in India during a recent event in Mumbai, and a big portion of the growth has come from mobile consumers, whom the new gaming app is specifically targeting.
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There is, however, a more subtle factor in play as YouTube engages with South Asian gamers. Many Internet users in India suffer from low bandwidth, which has made it difficult for some other streaming services to catch on there. That includes Twitch, but could YouTube Gaming — which is built on top of YouTube’s strong backend — provide a more reliable option for streamers who are hoping to reach local audiences? It’s a possibility, and in the territories where it just launched, YouTube Gaming is a service worth keeping an eye on. If you live in one of those countries, consider giving it a spin.
