TikTok may soon let you live stream games from your PC, console, or mobile devices. The ultra-popular video-focused social networking service is testing a new desktop program called TikTok Live Studio. It allows you to broadcast live footage from your PC or mobile screen directly to TikTok Live.
TikTok Live Studio features a chat interface that allows streamers to communicate with their viewers. It also includes camera support, enabling creators to stream footage of themselves along with their screens. Well, these are basic features for any live streaming service. But you can expect the company to add more features down the line.
TikTok Live Studio is in the early testing phase
The new TikTok service is currently in the early testing phase. It is available to “a few thousand users” in a handful of Western countries, the company has confirmed to TechCrunch.
Screenshots of TikTok Live Studio, shared by Zach Bussey on Twitter, reveal that the platform supports streaming in both portrait and landscape orientation. In its current state, the program lets you stream games or other apps from PC, mobile devices, and cameras. You can’t use browser window as a source though, something you can find on most established streaming platforms. Bussey also points out that TikTok Live Studio only has stock emojis and lacks in-stream alerts.
It’s unclear when the company plans to launch TikTok Live Studio globally. Perhaps following this early testing, and some enhancements of the platform. We will keep you posted as and when we have more information.
It’s super basic in its current state.
Has both Landscape and Portrait Scenes.
Sources include Game Capture, Mobile Capture, Video Capture, Program Capture, and some text/images. No browser sources, or alerts.
Emojis are limited to the stock ones. pic.twitter.com/oOHwUbSdUF
— Zach Bussey (@zachbussey) December 15, 2021
TikTok is taking on some big names here
TikTok’s meteoric rise to popularity over the past few years has not only given birth to dozens of clones but also prompted several established companies to launch identical services. YouTube’s Shorts, Instagram’s Reels, and Twitter’s new Explore tab are just a few to name. The likes of Spotify, Snapchat, Pinterest, and many others have also launched TikTok-inspired services or features in recent times.
Now, the time has come for things to work the other way round. With everyone copying TikTok, it was inevitable that the company would expand its services. After all, it would want to keep creators within its platforms as much as it can. And the first major expansion is into the live game streaming space, it seems.
With TikTok Live Studio, TikTok is taking on the likes of Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and YouTube Gaming in this booming industry. The brand has a big following globally, so this could give it a big boost early on. It now remains to be seen how things pan out for the Chinese firm. Stay tuned.
2021-12-20 15:06:59