YouTube Gaming originally launched in 2015 as a standalone app. It was designed to cater to gamers and remove irrelevant content. Unfortunately, the platform never gained traction among users in a noticeable way. A handful of unique and interesting features couldn’t convince users to use YouTube Gaming. Most users preferred to instead remain within the main YouTube app. Gamers never embraced YouTube gaming, and YouTube announced the impending end of the platform back in 2018.
YouTube Gaming Shuts Down On May 30, 2019 For Good
Now the time has come for YouTube Gaming to be taken offline completely. As of May 30, 2019, YouTube has terminated access to the app. Existing users will lose their list of saved games but won’t notice many other changes. Since few people used the platform, not too many individuals may even notice the sunset of YouTube gaming. Millions of gamers still used the main YouTube app and website to access gaming content and live streams. YouTube Gaming never featured a noteworthy user base.
Exclusive Features Eventually Became Standard YouTube Features
YouTube introduced some of YouTube Gaming’s best features to the main platform long ago. When YouTube gained live stream features and subscriptions, everyone knew YouTube Gaming couldn’t succeed. By that time, users wouldn’t find any particular reason to choose YouTube Gaming over regular YouTube. The initial announcement of the platform’s end essentially painted the entire app as a failure. Nobody could have been surprised about the demise of YouTube Gaming after such a rocky history.
What Did YouTube Gain From YouTube Gaming?
Although YouTube Gaming was a failure, some great features came to standard YouTube from the Gaming app. This includes the previously mentioned live stream and subscription features. A Dark Mode finally came to YouTube as a carryover feature from YouTube Gaming. Perhaps YouTube Gaming even made YouTube more open to modifying its app and including new features. Despite a lackluster existence, YouTube Gaming helped spawn a number of excellent YouTube features.
Will YouTube Gaming Ever Rise Again?
YouTube Gaming likely featured some devoted, hardcore users. In the end, nobody should expect YouTube Gaming to make a return down the road. All of its core features now exist in the standard YouTube app and website. YouTube remains behind Twitch when its comes to user base for gamers, and a revamped YouTube Gaming platform won’t change that. Still, YouTube Gaming will be remembered more for what it brought to YouTube proper than its short and lackluster run.
Dil Bole Oberoi
