YouTube is testing a new product for playing online games, indicating the video-sharing company’s interest in expanding its presence in the gaming industry.
In an email addressed to employees of YouTube’s parent company, Google, the option to play online games will be available through the YouTube app on mobile devices and desktops, and the new feature will be called “Playables.”
This marks Google’s second attempt at deep diving into the gaming industry, following the launch of Google Stadia.
Google Stadia, a cloud-based platform that allowed players to stream their libraries inside Chrome and on Chromecast, was unfortunately short-lived.
The platform was officially shut down at the beginning of January due to a lack of traction from users.
Phil Harrison, the general manager of Google Stadia, acknowledged this setback, stating, “While Stadia’s approach to streaming games for consumers was built on a strong technology foundation, it hasn’t gained the traction with users that we expected so we’ve made the difficult decision to begin winding down our Stadia streaming service."
YouTube has not yet released more information on the development of Playables and whether it will utilize the same technology as Google Stadia.
This is the most recent development to be tested for YouTube, which has recently been undergoing a range of changes to its features, including removing YouTube Shorts and introducing features that prioritize the work of content creators.
