If you have never heard that you can play games inside the YouTube app, you have about two days to try them. That's because YouTube's experimental feature called Playables, which lets you play simple games in the YouTube app, is going away on March 28.
Following rumors of its gaming feature, YouTube started testing Playables with a limited audience last year. The feature, available to premium users on Android, iOS, and desktop, lets you play games inside the YouTube app without downloading them or paying any extra cost.
You can find the Playables shelf by scrolling down the Home feed or in the Explore menu. Several titles such as Angry Birds, Cut The Rope, Alien Shooter, and more, are available. The progress of the titles you play gets saved to your YouTube history and syncs across other platforms that support it.
YouTube periodically tests experimental features to know their feasibility, for instance, a new lock screen to prevent accidental taps or speeding up video playback. While some experimental features make it to the stable version, some may never see the light of the day.
The streaming giant seems to be testing the waters with Playables but Android Authority notes that the end date for the experimental feature has been listed since last year. There is no word on whether Playables will be gone once and for all, or the gaming experience will return in the future.
YouTube's parent company Google has previously scrapped its cloud gaming service called Stadia after four years of existence. Rival streaming platform Netflix also stepped into the gaming sector and added mobile games to its streaming app.
In recent news, YouTube rolled out an updated video player interface for its TV app, making it easier to read comments while watching videos. The streaming giant now requires creators to add labels for realistic-looking content generated using AI.
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