YouTube is now bringing its free games catalogue ’Playables’ to all users

Mangalore Today News Network/News18

New Delhi, May 29, 2024: YouTube recently joined the expanding list of firms with gaming efforts, launching its Playables programme on both mobile and desktop. As per the latest updates, YouTube’s gaming “app store” is becoming more widely available.

 

The company has stated that its Playables collection of lightweight, free games will soon be available in the YouTube app for all users, as well as on the YouTube desktop site. The games were previously made available for testing to a restricted group of users before becoming available to YouTube Premium subscribers in November 2023.

YouTube Playables do not directly challenge the app store model or violate Apple’s regulations because they are not monetised through paid downloads or in-app purchases. However, they compete with the App Store’s free games, which are frequently downloaded by casual players and make cash through advertising.

To start playing, go to YouTube’s website or Android/iOS app and look for Playables on the sidebar. YouTube will allow players to store their progress and track their highest scores. There are more than 75 games to select from, ranging from chess and crossword puzzles to popular casual mobile applications like Angry Birds Showdown!, Cut the Rope, and Trivia Crack.

“Playables are a fun, interactive way to experience YouTube — with lightweight, entertaining games like Angry Birds Showdown, Words of Wonders, Cut the Rope, Tomb of the Mask, Trivia Crack and so many more that you can play right now,” YouTube’s blog post reads.

Last year, YouTube made its first move into gaming by giving Playables to its Premium users. That original phase had significantly fewer games and was only available for a short period, which ended in March this year.

One of the most common strategies used by IT companies to entice or retain members is providing a selection of casual games. Recently, LinkedIn launched its game selection, which looks to be rather enjoyable. Hearst, Netflix, and The New York Times have all included games within their normal offerings.

In 2019, Google, the parent company of YouTube, ventured into the gaming industry by launching the Google Stadia cloud gaming subscription service. In 2023, a little over three years had passed since Google shut down Stadia.