YouTube’s Playables Test: Playing Games on the Video Platform

YouTube has unveiled new information about its Playables test, aiming to allow users to play games directly on the video platform. While the desktop version of Playables will offer games on YouTube’s website through browsers, mobile users will primarily access the games through the iOS and Android app.

From Watcher to Player

In June, YouTube revealed the concept of Playables, but only its employees had access to test the service. Now, YouTube has shared more details about Playables on its updated support service, categorizing it as an experiment and providing some additional information. Certain individuals outside of the company are now selected as part of the Playables test and can try out the games. It is currently unclear how these individuals are selected, but YouTube suggests checking the home feed to see if Playables appears.

Playables’ games will also have progress controls through YouTube History, allowing for resets. The full range of games that will be included in the service remains a mystery, but during the initial testing phase, employees had access to an arcade-style game called Stack Bounce.

According to YouTube’s update, “Playables are games that can be played directly on YouTube on both desktop and mobile devices. If you’re part of this experiment, you’ll see a section on YouTube called ‘Playables’ that will appear alongside other content on the home feed. We’re testing this with a limited number of users to start. You can view and control your Playables history and saved game progress in YouTube History.”

Former PlayStation president Shawn Layden recently discussed the potential entry of big tech players into the gaming industry. He suggested that these newcomers could disrupt the industry as we currently know it.