Twitch is rolling out dual-format streaming and 2K streaming

Twitch aims to enhance the mobile experience by introducing two new features for its live streaming service: dual-format streaming and 2K streaming.

Twitch announced the new features during TwitchCon in Rotterdam.

As more viewers watch streams on their phones, the live video streaming platform is focusing on improving their experience. To this end, Twitch will be rolling out dual-format streaming.

With dual-format streaming, streamers using enhanced broadcasting simultaneously provide the streaming service with a horizontal and a vertical layout. This allows Twitch to optimize the viewing experience for both desktop and mobile users.

“The new vertical layout makes it easier for viewers to participate in events like Hype Trains and support you by subbing, gifting, and cheering while watching your stream in full screen. They’ll also be able to customize chat to have more control over how much chat they see on screen,” Twitch says in a blog post.

Twitch will be testing vertical streaming with a small number of channels this Summer and will expand to more users later this year.

Twitch has also announced 2K streaming. The company plans to test it in a closed beta with a small number of streamers, offering more detail and clarity compared to 1080p.

“We will increase bitrates for 2K streams, and these will use a newer HEVC codec that offers higher quality streams with lower bitrates. And with Twitch Enhanced Broadcasting technology, we will automatically adjust the stream quality based on your viewers’ bandwidth, so viewers will see the best version of your stream with no lagging or buffering,” Twitch promises.

All Twitch partners and affiliates will have immediate access to the ability to broadcast in 1440p.

Lastly, the live streaming platform has announced it will roll out a feature called Rewind. With it, viewers can rewind a stream to the part they missed and rejoin the live stream in real-time. Normally, this could only be done when a live stream was over.

Rewind will also be tested by a small number of streamers this summer to refine it.