Last September, Twitch and Sony took a common pledge at the TwitchCon. The two companies promised that a Twitch streaming app dedicated for PlayStation 4 will happen, and it did.
The app is free, tiny (only 51 MB), and shows potential to make Twitch streams more user-friendly. PlayStation 4 gamers get a strong convenience factor, as the app allows them to watch Twitch streams direct from their consoles. Until now, PS4 players who want to watch Twitch streams had to log in with the console's browser or a use a different device altogether.
Older versions of PlayStation do not get the app yet, even if the initial announcement said that the PS Vita and PlayStation 3 will benefit from it. Officials from the company assured owners of consoles from former generations that the app will be ready for them this autumn.
Earlier this year, an Xbox One streaming app for Twitch was released, causing PlayStation 4 fans to complain that Twitch made them feel left out.
YouTube entered the streaming race last September, offering gamers the means to stream directly to YouTube. The competition grows tighter between YouTube and Twitch, so the latter picked up the pace and launched the PS4 streaming app in order to maintain the console fans' support.
It is very likely that PlayStation 4 players who were bugged by the unwieldy Twitch browser will praise the official Twitch app and its additional functionalities.
What does the app allow users to do? The improved Twitch app allows users to watch live and recorded videos of players, top games, and e-sports events. They can also enjoy the reserved-to-PS4 full chat integration, receive updates on games and channels of interest and discover PlayStation 4 broadcasters through a dedicated section.
"You can watch, follow, or interact with any broadcaster or game live on Twitch," the company stated.
Whisper conversations are also due for an overhaul: Twitch confirmed that docked conversations and an archived history of the discussions will be among the upgrades of the Whisper.
As the Twitch app lets PS4 gamers view Twitch stream directly, owners of PS Vita and PS3 can hope to see the same level of usability in their consoles during late autumn or early December.