YouTube Gaming to integrate screen recording, live streaming for Android as seen in Play Games v3.3; Japan to receive new feature first

By Staff Writer

Sep 21 2015, 11:34 AM EDT

Google plans to add live game streaming and screen recording capability to Android devices via YouTube Gaming, as evidenced in the latest Play Games v3.3 update. The new feature will be rolled out first to Japanese Android users.

Phone Arena reported that Google will add support for Android phones and tablets to natively stream gaming videos to YouTube without having to load an additional application. Play Games v3.3 uses certain code snippets and icons that confirms Google's intentions with game streaming. It is also possible that the new feature will be directly integrated to Google Play Games.

The 2015 Tokyo Game Show Keynote announcement revealed that users will be able to add audio and video annotations to their footage using their devices' front camera and a headset. Videos can be uploaded and streamed to YouTube from Play Games.

It is believed that YouTube Gaming and Google Play Games will work hand in hand, with Play Games used for recording footage and YouTube Gaming for consuming video. Or it may be that Google will transfer all functionality to Play Games.

According to a report by Android Police, code snippets and icon assets for live YouTube streaming are now on Play Games v3.3. There are 480p and 720p recording options, but no 1080p yet at launch. It is assumed that the 1080p option will come later.

Floating action button icons appeared in the update to form the user interface. The FAB icons can be used to toggle the microphone and camera on and off, or record and play videos. A banner image is also placed at the top of an instruction screen that presents game streaming for users.

The Global Head of Content for Gaming of YouTube Gaming Ryan Wyatt announced the new features during the Tokyo Game Show, adding that Japan will be the first country to experience the functionality.

In a report by Audsdroid, Wyatt said that "Japan's mobile games define its gaming culture, far more so than in other countries." This is a step towards Google hoping to gain a higher market share against its competitor, Twitch of Amazon.

In its launch, the YouTube Gaming app was well-received by users because of its user-friendly interface. Meanwhile, the APK file for Google Play Games v3.3 update can be downloaded via APK Mirror.