Twitch launches its new desktop app in beta

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

Twitch is finally ready to take over your desktop — sort of. The beta version of the game streaming site's new desktop app is now available to download, giving you quick access to your favorite Twitch streams and much, much more in a dedicated spot on your PC.

Aside from being able to watch your favorite streamers, Twitch is hoping the desktop app will serve as a home for the different communities that use its service. To bolster that aim, the app also packs support for community servers that let you and other members chat and watch streams with custom voice and text rooms. You can also make voice and video calls with the app, making it a logical tool to use for keeping in touch with teammates as you play.

A lot of this extra functionality comes as part of the app's legacy: it's essentially a re-branded version of the former Curse app, which Twitch acquired in 2016. That history can be seen in one of the app's other big features, which lets you find, manage and install add-ons for games. A cloud storage component to this will also help you keep your settings in sync across machines.

Interested? If so, you can test out the beta app by grabbing it directly from Twitch now.

See at Twitch

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

16 Comments
  • beam
  • Can people without the app see your gifs?
  • I hope they make it a true UWP app and release it for mobile and co. as well
  • i dont think they care to make it UWP The Curse app already support Windows,Mac OS,iOS and Android which is the majority of users
  • which is the majority of users
    Console users, and Xbox ones in particular, would disagree with that.
  • Well said. That same Xbox One that use the same UWP app as PC, Tablets and Mobile. So why developing and maintaining multiple apps when you can reach all devices with a single one. Work smarter, not harder is something I like to do and say
  • neither Android,iOS,Mac OS and older versions of Windows support UWP you think they care for a few people who use windows 10 mobile and xbox one even combine they can reach the Android users
  • When are the beam apps on pc and mobile coming? They shouldn't let Twitch beat them.
  • Twitch is already the goto for live streaming. I think they have already won
  • No UWP?  Meh, no thanks.  Will stick with Beam.
  • Because the Beam app is soooooo good right now ;-)
  • At least there is one.
  • is there? i dont have a beam app on my phone or pc.
  • **** off 🖕 twitch. We don't want your piece of **** 💩 app. We love beam .
  • competition is good spures inovation. beam is that inovation. microsoft was smart to buy it. it isn't microsoft inovation. its just aquired. like tellme networks. the back end for lots of the voice sytems. 
  • i might have to try this out! i do use restream :D