Google Discontinues YouTube Gaming App

Google will be shutting down the YouTube Gaming app as of May 30, ending its short stint of a dedicated standalone app for gamers. Instead, YouTube Gaming viewers are encouraged to visit a YouTube hub page that will serve a similar purpose. The browser destination is being similarly relocated.

In an FAQ, the company recommends merging your subscriptions to retain most of your streaming preferences. Still, some things will change for YouTube Gaming fans. There is no way to set the new hub page as your default YouTube experience, though Google notes that you can simply bookmark that page. It also says you'll lose your saved games as the company explores "better ways to organize your game interests on YouTube."

YouTube Gaming launched in 2015 as an all-in-one hub for gaming live streams. It also functioned as a testing ground for new YouTube features. But the separate app is said to have created confusion among viewers. Of course, nothing is happening to your favorite streamers. They'll still be operating as normal, so if you just like to watch YouTube's livestreams, essentially nothing will change for you.

Google is currently in the process of introducing gamers to another new bit of tech, the Stadia streaming platform. The debut event promised integration with YouTube, including the ability to jump directly into game at the same point you were just watching on a stream, or for streamers to play with their viewers live. Google recently promised we'll be seeing a few key details about Stadia soon, including price, game announcements, and launch info.