MyTube isn't just one of the best YouTube apps on Windows 10 and Mobile — it's one of the best ways to browse YouTube, period. Not only has MyTube provided Windows Phone users with YouTube Red's premium features for years, such as background audio and downloads for offline playback, but it's arguably more intuitive than Google's official apps on Android and iOS. And now, it's coming to Xbox One.
YouTube famously refused to allow an official app on Windows Phone a few years ago, forcibly blocking a Microsoft-developed solution with a somewhat spurious excuse. Considering YouTube's streaming push into Twitch territory with YouTube Gaming, the company is arguably unable to ignore Xbox as a platform, given its living room dominance. Whether or not the Universal Windows Platform leads to a responsive YouTube app for Xbox One, Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile remains to be seen, but at least in the interim, Ryken Apps is bringing MyTube to Xbox One in a big way.
Ryken Apps is hard at work building MyTube 3.0, which is gearing up to deliver YouTube to the Universal Windows Platform across Windows 10 Mobile, Windows 10 PC and Xbox One. Unlike some of the other UWP apps currently available on the Xbox One Preview, MyTube will have an interface optimized for use on the console.
MyTube for Xbox One will allow you to navigate different category panels with the joystick. You'll be able to select between your subscriptions and YouTube's own trending recommendations, and browse YouTube as you'd expect from its website.
While MyTube 3.0 is only around 10% complete for Xbox One, it already plays videos in the background utilizing the Xbox One's all new background audio feature. This will be handy for listening to podcasts, interviews or music playlists while multi-tasking or gaming. Using the Xbox One's background audio media controls, you'll be able to skip through videos in a playlist, as well as adjust the volume mixer between MyTube and game audio. Since YouTube's official Xbox app isn't based on UWP, it will remain unable to access background audio.
When MyTube 3.0 is completed, Ryken Apps is targeting support for the following features on Xbox One:
- Background audio.
- Playlist management.
- Downloading for offline playback.
- Comment posting.
- Acting as a casting target from MyTube on Windows 10 phones and PCs.
- Live streaming video playback.
MyTube 3.0 is currently in beta for Windows 10 PC and Windows 10 Mobile, and you can pick it up and contribute feedback using the link below. Ryken Apps is targeting a late 2016, early 2017 launch window for MyTube on Xbox One, so keep an eye on Windows Central for further updates!
What other popular UWP apps from Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile would you like to see on Xbox One? Let us know in the comments.
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