The new feature may be called Playables, and while YouTube did not confirm its existence, a spokesperson told the WSJ that gaming has been a major focus for the platform. “We’re always experimenting with new features, but we don’t have anything to announce at this time.”
It is not clear if the games would have to be downloaded in order to play them or if they could be streamed from YouTube without the need for an extra application. The first movement would be incomprehensible, since the Play Store already hosts thousands of video games and it is not known whether the YouTube Premium subscription would provide extra value.
It should be remembered that after Google announced the closure of Stadia, its streaming game service, the service’s vice president, Phil Harrison, said that the company had seen “clear opportunities to apply the technology in other parts of Google, such as YouTube, Play and in the efforts of Augmented Reality”.
Netflix, the most important player of the moment
Video game subscription services have gained so much popularity in recent years thanks to platforms such as Xbox Game Pass and Cloud Gaming, so much so that other technology companies have also entered this trend. The main example is Netflix, a company that has already expanded its goals in gaming.