YouTube Gaming to launch today

A new version of YouTube designed specifically for gamers is being launched in the UK and US today. YouTube Gaming will let joypad twiddlers upload their gaming videos, create live streams of their gameplay and host pages for more than 25,000 different titles. 

Google last year lost out to Amazon in its attempt to buy gaming video service, Twitch. Now the company is going it alone by launching a direct rival.

YouTube Gaming will offer many of the same features as Twitch, but unlike its Amazon-owned rival, it will include a DVR feature that allows viewers to rewind up to four hours of a live video stream. Many Twitch users already upload archives of their streams to YouTube, so Google will be hoping to persuade gamers to cut out the middle man and come directly to YouTube Gaming, which automatically converts streams into a YouTube video. 

YouTube Gaming will use HTML5 video and allow streams to be broadcast at 1080p at 60fps, which "means silky smooth playback for gaming," according to Google. Users will be able to add favourite games to their collection, with titles such as Asteroids and Zelda appearing alongside more contemporary releases, such as the Call of Duty series.

The YouTube Gaming site will go live today, alongside Android and iOS apps. It's not clear if or when the company will launch apps for the major consoles.