YouTube adds 4K support for livestreams
Twitch isn't going to be pleased.
After countless Black Friday 4K TV deals, it seems YouTube is looking to christen a lot of shiny new 4K displays. From today YouTube users will be able to stream standard and 360-degree video content in 4K. This could have huge significance for YouTube's position in the live stream space. While popular, the video behemoth's main streaming competitor, Twitch, currently lacks the bandwidth to support 4K streaming.
Twitch servers typically limit streamers to a bandwidth of 3.5 Mbps (and a 4K stream can require more than double that). Being beaten to the UHD punch will come as a major blow to the Amazon-owned company. Google will be hoping that this technical advantage will be enough to steer Twitch users towards viewing and hosting streams on its platform.
If you're eager to see a pro-shot 4K stream in action, you can watch this year's edition of The Game Awards in all its UHD glory on Youtube tomorrow at 6PM EST.