Play online games on YouTube? Check out Netflix Games-like 'Playables'

YouTube's plans to expand into online gaming with the Playables feature.

YouTube plans expansion into online gaming with 'Playables'. (Representative Image| AFP)

Google is considering entering the world of online gaming as it explores new opportunities after the underwhelming performance of gaming platform, Stadia. The company is now turning its attention to YouTube, which already serves as a significant platform for game livestreams and contributes to a substantial portion of its revenue. YouTube is reportedly working on a new feature called "Playables" to further expand its gaming offerings.

The Wall Street Journal revealed that YouTube is internally testing Playables, a feature that will allow users to play games directly on the platform. Employees have been invited to test the product, and the company is adding various games, including Stack Bounce, to the testing lineup. Once officially launched, Playables will not only be accessible on YouTube's website via web browsers but also on Google's Android and Apple's iOS platforms.

A YouTube spokesperson informed Reuters that gaming has long been a focus for the company, and they are continuously experimenting with new features. However, they had no specific announcements to make at the moment.

The move to host online games on YouTube aligns with CEO Neal Mohan's strategy to explore new avenues of growth amidst a slowdown in advertising spending, as mentioned in the WSJ report. YouTube is a popular destination for game streaming and watching live gameplay footage, making it a natural fit for expanding into the gaming sphere.

Although Playables is still in the early stages of development, it is expected to resemble Netflix Games, a gaming service that allows users to choose and play lightweight games categorized by genre and maturity ratings on its web platform, Android, and iOS apps. By introducing Playables, YouTube aims to provide its user base with an additional avenue for entertainment and exploration.

Notably, this development comes just months after Google shut down its cloud-based game streaming service, Google Stadia, in January. With Playables, YouTube appears to be taking a different approach to give online gaming another try.