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There was a time when capturing your favorite games on camera required some real dedication.
There was a time when capturing your favorite games on camera required some real dedication. You’d pony up for an expensive capture card — plug it all in, and then set to filling your entire hard drive with hours upon hours of delicious content. Not so with the latest generation of home consoles — as both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launched with video sharing capabilitiesright out of the box.
As any ‘Let’s Play’ aficionado will tell you, these features are only as good as their eventual destination, be that YouTube, Dailymotion or even Youku. Sadly, none of the above are all that capable when it comes to live streaming, an omission that leaves the likes of Twitch .com in a commanding position. Having already debuted on PS4, the video airing service is now available on Xbox One, as part of a system-wide update launched earlier today.
Introducing users to the newly integrated service, Microsoft’s Major Nelson took to YouTube this Sunday, broadcasting a brief how-to guide to Twitch. The video, available above, reminds gamers to sign up for a free Twitch account, before re-jigging their privacy settings to allow for gameplay broadcasts. Nelson then goes to detail some of the options available to eager streamers, including manual bit rate tweaks, various viewing modes, and a social suite that alerts players to friend’s live feeds.
Given the range of issues typically associated with software launches– particularly those relying upon massed server strength— it’ll be interesting to see just how well the Twitch service handles early demand. As Nelson notes in the above video, the Xbox team worked hard to bring Twitch integration to the console in time for Titanfall , a major IP that’s sure to attract thousands, if not millions of active livestreamers.
With so much expectation surrounding the title there’s never been a better time to release a service like this, though the opposite also holds true — if gamers run into widespread problems, both Twitch and Microsoft could receive a black eye. For more on Twitch, including its recent successes with the Pokemon brand, check out our Twitch news page.
How will Twitch integration change the way you play? Does the current system require any minor tweaks or adjustments? How do these social features stack up against those of Microsoft’s major rivals? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check in with all of the latest Xbox One news, right here on Game Rant.
Twitch integration will arrive as part of the latest Xbox One update, available for download today.
Follow Sam on Twitter @ GamingGoo.
Source: Major Nelson