What you need to know
- YouTube is rolling out its "Playables" playtest for Premium subscribers with an accompanying notification.
- Playables offers a library of over thirty mobile games, some of which include Angry Birds Showdown and 8 Ball Billiards Classic.
- The test will run until March 28, with no extra download or fee required to experiment with Playables.
YouTube is breaking into the mobile gaming space by giving users an easy platform to enjoy this alternate form of entertainment — with a caveat.
The video streaming platform detailed on its experimental page that "Playables" have arrived but only for Premium members (via Droid Life). YouTube states those on the test can play games easily, with no download, and without paying any extra fee. Moreover, looking in the Explore tab on PC and mobile devices will show this new "Playables" option.
Interacting will bring you to the new mobile gaming hub's main page, which showcases popular games that have caught users' attention. This "Home" page will also show a "Continue Playing" option so users can quickly resume their gaming sessions.
Among the many arcade and puzzle-style games YouTube offers, some standouts include Angry Birds Showdown, Brain Out, Daily Solitaire, The Daily Crossword, and 8 Ball Billiards Classic.
The "Browse" tab opens up the full breadth of YouTube's mobile gaming collection. Early glimpses into the feature have seemingly shown around 37 games that testers can browse and playtest.
YouTube Playables contains a daily login page, similar to what you'd see in many mobile games, but it's unclear what purpose these extra rewards serve.
The platform has just started its Playables test and it looks like Premium users should begin receiving notifications about it to join in. YouTube adds this playtest will run until March 28, 2024. There is uncertainty behind whether or not the platform will keep Playables free. Regardless, Playables are accessible on PC, Android, and iOS devices.
YouTube reportedly kickstarted its Playables experiment back in September for a limited number of lucky participants. Considering there's an expansion of those included, now covering Premium members, testing must've gone well. Premium subscribers should be able to "view and control" their Playables history and saved game data, as well, moving forward.
With YouTube dipping itself into mobile gaming, it resurges the memory of Netflix Games, which didn't have the best engagement. It was reported in August 2022 that the feature only managed to entice less than 1% of Netflix's total subscriber base. However, YouTube is already ahead of Netflix's initial starting library of 24 games as it begins with 37. If testing goes well, perhaps something will stick, but it's too early to tell as users begin to sit down with things.
