YouTube announced the expandsion of its Playables feature to all users on Tuesday (May 28). This feature offers a collection of games to users of the video-streaming service without any downloads. Playables was first introduced in November 2023 with 30 arcade games on offer and availability to only YouTube Premium subscribers in select markets until March 28. The Google-owned video streaming platform has rolled out this feature to all its users, bringing a collection of free-to-play games to all users without a premium subscription.
YouTube Playables Rollout Begins
In a blog post, YouTube announced that Playables – “a collection of free games that you can play directly on the platform”, is being expanded to all users on multiple platforms. YouTube users can now access around 75 titles via the Playables section, which no longer requires an active YouTube Premium subscription.
However, it appears that the rollout will take place in a phased manner, as Gadgets 360 staff members were unable to load the Playables section and the site displayed an error when visiting the official URL. Meanwhile, the tab is yet to appear on the navigation menu on the website as well as on Android and iOS.
Games on YouTube Playables
YouTube Playables: How to Start Gaming for Free
To play free games on YouTube, launch the app on an Android or iOS device, or head to the YouTube website on the Web. The Playables section is located in the Explore menu. YouTube says Playables currently features over 75 games, including “lightweight, entertaining games” such as Angry Birds Showdown, Words of Wonders, Cut the Rope, Tomb of the Mask, and Trivia Crack.
YouTube is one of many video-streaming platforms to launch its own collection of games. In November 2021, Netflix introduced games as “a new way to experience entertainment on mobile”. It now has offerings such as Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, Stranger Things 3: The Game and Football Manager 2024 Mobile.
YouTube Cracks Down on Ad Blockers
Meanwhile, YouTube is also reportedly working to put a stop to ad blockers. As per a report, using an ad blocker now forces the video to automatically skip to the end, prohibiting the user from watching it. Furthermore, if users manage to find a workaround for this issue, the audio goes away, it is reported.
The move is part of a “global effort” by the video-streaming service to tackle ad blockers as ads “support a diverse ecosystem of creators globally and allow billions to access their favourite content on YouTube”, according to Christopher Lawton, Communications Manager at YouTube.