Elon Musk‘s social media platform, X (previously known as Twitter), has initiated testing for a new video game streaming feature, aiming to rival established platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
Elon Musk rivals Twitch, YouTube with video game streaming feature on X
Musk showcased this feature by live-streaming his gameplay of Diablo IV dungeon on two occasions.
The first stream, which took place on Tuesday, lasted approximately 40 minutes, attracting 1.5 million viewers, despite technical glitches like flickering and high-pitched voice frequency.
Musk acknowledged these issues, noting there’s ‘something to be fixed’ regarding the live-streaming functionality.
In a previous broadcast, technical challenges also emerged, consuming a considerable portion of the 52-minute stream.
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Musk shared his testing experience on X, expressing satisfaction with the streaming system and enticing users with a promise to complete a challenging game dungeon live on the platform.
Musk edges closer to achieving ‘the everything app’
This new feature is part of Musk’s broader vision to evolve X into an “everything app,” now stepping into the video game streaming arena largely dominated by Amazon’s Twitch.
However, it’s pertinent to note that this streaming feature is exclusively available to X Blue subscribers, who pay a monthly fee of $8 (R144.99).
The recent revenue-sharing arrangements introduced by X could potentially lure creators dissatisfied with Twitch’s monetisation policies.
Under X’s program, eligible creators can earn a share of the revenue generated through ads displayed on their posts or profiles, thus providing a monetisation avenue for their content on the platform.
In a parallel development, X secured a significant license, the Rhode Island Currency Transmitter License, on 28 August 2023, allowing the platform to offer cryptocurrency payment and trading services within the United States.
This move aligns with X’s previous crypto-centric features like Bitcoin tipping and displaying non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as profile pictures.
While the specifics regarding the crypto payment features remain undisclosed, the licensing indicates a progressive stride towards integrating cryptocurrency functionalities on X, promoting mainstream adoption, and enhancing user engagement within the crypto space.
These developments signify X’s ambitious strides to diversify its platform services, encompassing video game streaming and cryptocurrency operations, potentially creating a multifaceted social media environment for its users.
