Twitch is experimenting with a new way to discover new channels, which reminds me of channel surfing on my TV. The Channel Switcher project allows you to easily flick through previews of a variety of different streams to help you choose something to watch. And, maybe most importantly, you will not see advertisements when using it.
If you don’t already know what you want to watch on Twitch, it can be difficult to find something fresh that you might actually want to check into right now. Personally, we check the homepage, scan the sidebar of individuals we follow, click into a specific game or category to see who is currently online, or navigate directly to a streamer’s account.
However, if we want to leave a stream we’re currently watching, our best alternatives are to click another following account or recommendation in the sidebar or to return to Twitch’s Browse area. That last option isn’t our favorite, as we frequently have decision paralysis.
Channel Switcher appears to be a lot faster approach to check out a variety of streamers. According to Twitch spokesperson Ashton Williams, you’ll be able to watch a 60-second preview of a stream before deciding whether to click through or watch another channel.
For the time being, it appears that only a select few will be allowed to try Channel Switcher. According to Williams, “just a small fraction of users that are logged in” now have access, and those who do are chosen at random. The experiment will be terminated in the middle of July so that the firm can examine the findings, but Williams emphasizes that Twitch intends to work on future iterations and may offer an opt-in version of the function.
Twitch unveiled numerous upgrades on Thursday, including Guest Star, a new tool that makes it easier for streamers to welcome visitors to their streams, and the option to create your own tags.
