At today’s Windows 10 Event, Microsoft introduced some gaming features that will come with the new Creators Update, which is scheduled to arrive in the spring of 2017. These include a new, native broadcasting system as well as the ability to create custom tournaments.
For quite some time, Twitch has been the default choice for livestreaming content on the Xbox One or Windows 10 PC. Earlier this year, Microsoft acquired a company called Beam, which also has its own livestream platform. With the Creators Update, Windows 10 players will be able to use that program to broadcast their gameplay. To bring up Beam on a Windows 10 title, all you need to do is activate the Game Bar (press the Windows and G keys together) and press the broadcast button.
The main difference between Twitch and Beam, however, is interaction. With the new program, viewers can make recommendations to the player as to what to do next in a game. Xbox’s Jenn McCoy showed this feature onstage with a livestream of Forza Horizon 3. While she watched her friend play the game, she “told” him what to do next by clicking on an option underneath the stream window. There’s also a cooldown period after she made a suggestion in order to prevent a slew of commands that come in one after another. Once you’re live, the system will also notify your friends so that they can watch the livestream.
It’s all about building your audience, and Microsoft believes that Beam can provide a more interactive experience than what’s currently available on the market.
For more competitive players, there’s also the ability to create custom tournaments. All you have to do is select a game and then create your tournament from a list of settings. You can give it a custom name, alter its privacy settings, dictate the tournament style and game mode, and set the start date. Once it’s ready, an invite is sent to your friends so that they can prepare for the upcoming competition.
The custom tournament is agnostic, so it doesn’t matter if you’re playing the game via PC or Xbox One. Players on both platforms can compete in the same tournament.
Obviously, this was just a sneak peek at what’s to come in the Creators Update for gamers. As we get closer the Spring 2017 release window, we’ll find out more details about Beam and custom tournaments in order to use them to their full potential.
