YouTube’s ‘Playables’ Let Users Play Games on Mobile, Desktop

YouTube has initiated a novel experiment, allowing a select number of users to engage in online gaming on mobile and desktop via a newly introduced “Playables” section (via TechCrunch).

Previously, the Wall Street Journal had reported that Youtube’s Playables would feature captivating titles like Stack Bounce. In this arcade-style game, players are tasked with bouncing a 3D ball to demolish layers of revolving bricks.

Stack Bounce enthusiasts might already be familiar with the game, as it has been available on Google’s minigames platform, GameSnacks, since 2021.

Therefore, it is highly anticipated that a multitude of users will flock to YouTube to partake in this gaming experience.

Users will have the convenience of tracking their gaming journey, inclusive of history and saved progress, within YouTube’s history tab, neatly categorized under “My Activity.”

This experiment comes less than a year following Google’s announcement of discontinuing its cloud gaming service, Stadia.

The decision to shut down Stadia was primarily due to its struggle to gain substantial traction in the market. It faced stiff competition from rivals like Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now.

According to statistics released by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Stadia held a meager 0-5% share of the cloud gaming market in 2022, while Nvidia GeForce dominated with a 20-30% share.