Twitch adds video calling to its Curse game chat app

Twitch may be the go-to destination for watching video game players stream their screens, but a whole network of third-party apps exist in and around Twitch’s service that the company would very much like to provide on its own. Now, the Amazon-owned company is taking aim at one of the most prominent of those third-party sectors: live game chat. Starting today, Twitch’s Curse communication app will support live video calling with up to five players, according to Engadget. The addition will let users stream a webcam feed to others in real time and allow for private screen sharing to highlight plays and share info with teammates. 

Curse, much like game chat competitors Discord and Teamspeak, is a standalone game chat service. It’s designed for PC players, and allows multiple users to link their online game accounts for titles like League of Legends and World of Warcraft to a central hub where they can chat via text, host voice calls, and now conduct live video calls as well. It works by layering itself over any in-game experience, meaning you don’t have to rely on a game’s own chat features to communicate. Twitch bought Curse back in August in a clear demonstration of its interest in the area. Over time, the company plans to add new features to Curse to make it more enticing, in hopes that players will jump ship from Discord and Teamspeak, neither of which yet support features like video calls.


The article was published on : theverge