Youtube Live Gets A Major Update, Introduces Dual-format Streaming, Minigames, And More

At its Made connected YouTube arena connected Tuesday, nan video elephantine announced respective caller features aimed astatine improving nan livestreaming experience. This includes letting creators play mini-games to entertain viewers, broadcasting simultaneously successful some horizontal and vertical formats, AI-powered highlights, reacting to unrecorded events, a caller advertisement format, and more.

The institution says this is nan astir important update to Live it has ever introduced, arsenic nan livestreaming marketplace continues to grow, and title pinch TikTok Live heats up. The institution reports that much than 30% of regular logged-in viewers watched unrecorded contented during nan 2nd 4th of 2025. 

The first announcement YouTube made was nan integration of Playables into Live. Playables are nan catalog of free mini games that were antecedently only disposable connected nan location page. The summation brings an interactive constituent to livestreaming, enabling creators to play celebrated games for illustration Angry Birds Showdown, Cut nan Rope, Tomb of nan Mask, and Trivia Crack. 

YouTube suggests Playables could service arsenic an introduction constituent for caller livestreamers, providing a low-pressure measurement to make a first belief pinch viewers. The move could besides position YouTube much squarely successful title pinch Twitch, a level known for its beardown accent connected gamers. 

In addition, nan institution introduced nan expertise to simultaneously broadcast successful some horizontal and vertical formats, which would thief creators optimize nan viewing acquisition for some desktop and mobile users. Notably, each viewers will subordinate 1 shared chat.

As much viewers devour contented connected their phones, platforms are introducing features to support this style of broadcasting to amended compete pinch mobile-first platforms for illustration TikTok. Twitch was nan astir caller to present dual streaming, and Apple’s latest iPhone 17 announcement included Camera functionality for signaling successful scenery and image while holding nan telephone vertically.

Image Credits:YouTube

YouTube is besides expanding an research that allows creators to commencement a vertical livestream connected mobile and respond unrecorded to different events aliases creators who are streaming astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic them.

Plus, nan institution announced nan motorboat of AI-powered highlights that automatically prime nan champion moments from a livestream to move them into shareable Shorts, arsenic good arsenic a caller “Practice Mode” characteristic that allows creators to trial their setups without nan accent of accidentally going live. 

When it comes to monetization, YouTube is rolling retired a caller advertisement format that won’t interrupt nan viewing experience. Called side-by-side ads, these ads tin tally adjacent to nan main content, akin to a split-screen display. 

Finally, there’s a caller action for creators pinch transmission memberships to move from nationalist livestreams to members-only ones without disruption, truthful they tin create exclusive contented for paying members much easily.