YouTube’s Gaming App Gets Updates, Goes Global

Nine months after it first launched, YouTube Gaming is getting some updates. The category-specific destination, which is also available as a standalone app on both iOS and Android, will receive several new features, including a tinkered design, new tools for mobile users, and availability in four additional territories.

At launch, local versions of the YouTube Gaming app were only available in the US and UK. With the new update, however, it will launch in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. As a YouTube blog post notes, several of the site’s top gamers, including Vanoss and jacksepticeye, hail from the newly-served territories.

“YouTube Gaming is built just for gamers, and we asked you to tell us how to make it the best way to connect with your community,” reads the blog post. “Today we’re sharing some new ways we’re helping you find and watch awesome videos and live streams based on feedback we’ve heard.”

The new YouTube Gaming design eliminates sidebars to simplify search and discovery. A new “live” tab on the app’s homepage keeps users up-to-date on current content relevant to their favorite games. Additionally, Android users can now take advantage of improved playback and a video player that pops out on top of other apps. In addition to YouTube Gaming, other category-specific apps launched by the world’s most popular video site include YouTube Kids (which hit 10 million downloads and arrived outside the US in late 2015) and YouTube Music.