The large software update coming to the Xbox One next month will include the popular video game broadcasting service, Twitch. The Twitch app will allow users to live stream video games, join in on games with broadcasters, initiate game broadcasts with voice commands, archive game clips and watch Twitch streams broadcast from any device (including the PS4). And in addition to being able to join broadcaster parties, you’ll be able to add to and access archived footage and see if your friends are broadcasting via the friends app and activity feed.
The reason that it took Microsoft so long to add Twitch functionality is that they wanted to make sure that they did right by the service. The PS4 version of Twitch — which Twitch CEO Emmett Shear noted was crafted by Sony, not Twitch — only permits PS4 users to spectate other PS4s and doesn’t allow them to easily connect. “That’s a very certain type of experience,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s vice president of marketing and strategy for Xbox. “For us, we thought that was too limiting for what our fans would want. Our fans really want the full next-gen service, so that’s why we decided to take our time, do it right and have it come out in this fashion.”
Prepare for the software update to fall on March 11th. Just in time for a certain game with giant shootin’ robots.
