Owners of Microsoft’s new Xbox One console will soon be able to broadcast their exploits straight to the internet with the ability to stream to Twitch, the popular hub that allows users to watch other people play games live.
Twitch integration was announced as a feature of the console when it was launched, but Microsoft has delayed its launch until now. According to a blog post on Xbox Wire, the new functionality will be available for users starting Tuesday.
Xbox One users will be able to launch the broadcast by using a voice command to tell the console to “start broadcasting,” which will open up a sidebar that allows them to start streaming.
The functionality requires that users set up their own account with Twitch ahead of time, but once they’re logged in, they can choose to start streaming whenever they want. Users can attach a picture-in-picture shot of them playing the game using the Kinect’s built-in webcam, and can re-position the webcam image so that it’s not blocking the in-game interface on the stream.
If users choose to leave the Twitch sidebar open during their gameplay, it will show user comments from the streaming service’s built-in chat system so that broadcasters can interact with their viewers.
Twitch streaming will launch alongside “Titanfall,” a much-hyped first-person shooter that will only be available for Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows PC gamers. Streaming was a popular feature for the Playstation 4 at that console’s launch, and given all the excitement people have for Titanfall, Microsoft is set up for a similarly significant launch.
Here’s a video that shows how it’s going to work, narrated by Microsoft’s Larry Hryb, better known as “Major Nelson”:
