Gaming has proved itself to be a mainstay in modern society, and it has permeated most people’s lives. Whether this is through a teenager playing video games or a parent having to hear about them all the time, gaming is bigger than ever. The industry recently topped both film and music combined leaving no doubt as to which is the dominant entertainment industry. Streaming is also on the rise, with the platform being preferred by many when it comes to traditional content creation. For those who wish to follow their favourite streamers when they go live, Twitch is a brilliant app that most will want to download to access any stream.
Twitch was created in 2011, and ever since then, it has enjoyed explosive success. It offered an alternative platform to titan YouTube, and as many were dissatisfied with the service at the time, making the move was easy. It differs from the video sharing site as it is dedicated to live streaming content. The focus is gaming, but a wide range of categories can be found such as talking and ASMR streams. The platform is even spreading to other industries such as gambling where online casinos can offer live dealers, you can find some here, and shows just how much Twitch has changed the streaming landscape.
Those who already access the Twitch website will be grateful to know that much is kept in the app version meaning that most pages will feel familiar. Opening the app leads the user to the ‘following’ page, where all their favourite channels and categories can easily be accessed. Any followed channel that is live will be showcased in the middle of the screen with a red recording logo and current viewer count. Twitch have applied great user design practice into designing this page as all information about the stream is easily observable. It will give users a description, and tags that will give additional background information about it.
For the more adventurous, the app also has a discover page, which shows other channels that the user is not following. Often, these will be carefully chosen based on the interests the user has displayed on the app, and it will offer channels that stream in a particular category. However, it also shows channels that may have nothing to do with what a user usually watches, and this is a nice way to discover people and content that may be enjoyable to watch. The page will also give a range of clips it thinks the user will like, which is a nice addition and can be used when there is not time to invest in watching a stream.
The last main page is the browse section, where users can explore all the different types of categories that Twitch has to offer. Again, the app will also use its recommendation system to show content it thinks the user might like, which is always nice to see. The page is equipped with a filter button that is helpful when the user wants to find new channels that stream a specific category.
Twitch is a great app that many who are interested in gaming will want to use. It offers many of the same features the website offers, in a small and convenient package.
