YouTube Live gets a major update, introducing dual-format streaming, minigames, and more.

At its Made on YouTube event, video giant YouTube announced a number of new features aimed at improving the livestream experience. These include allowing creators to play minigames to entertain viewers, broadcasting simultaneously in both landscape and portrait formats, providing AI-powered highlights, responding to live events, using new ad formats, and more.

 

1. YouTube speeds up live streaming with super low latency

The company said this is the most significant update to its Live feature it has ever introduced, as the livestreaming market continues to grow and competition from TikTok Live intensifies. The company reported that more than 30% of daily logged-in viewers watched live content in Q2 2025.

 

The first announcement YouTube made was the integration of Playables into Live. Playables is a catalog of free minigames that were previously only available on the home page. The addition brings an interactive element to the stream, allowing creators to play popular games like Angry Birds Showdown, Cut the Rope, Tomb of the Mask, and Trivia Crack.

YouTube believes that Playables can serve as an entry point for new streamers, offering a low-pressure way to make an impression on viewers. The move could also help YouTube compete more squarely with Twitch, a platform known for its strong focus on gamers.

Additionally, the company is introducing the ability to broadcast simultaneously in both landscape and portrait formats, allowing content creators to optimize the viewing experience for both desktop and mobile users. Notably, all viewers will be involved in a common conversation.

 

As more viewers watch content on their phones, platforms are introducing features that support this style of broadcasting to better compete with mobile-first platforms like TikTok . Twitch is the latest platform to introduce dual streaming, and Apple's latest iPhone 17 announcement includes a Camera feature that allows for horizontal and vertical video recording when holding the phone.

YouTube is also expanding its experiment to allow creators to livestream vertically on mobile devices and interact directly with other events or creators streaming at the same time as them.

 

Additionally, the company also announced the launch of an AI-powered highlights feature that automatically selects the best moments from a livestream to turn them into shareable short videos, as well as a new "Practice Mode" feature that lets creators experiment with their setup without worrying about accidentally going live.

 

On the monetization front, YouTube is rolling out a new ad format that doesn't interrupt the viewing experience. Called side-by-side ads, these ads can run alongside the main content, similar to a split screen.

Finally, there's a new option that allows creators with channel memberships to transition from public livestreams to members-only livestreams without interruption, making it easier for them to create exclusive content for paying members.