Currently under testing by Twitch are a few features that, in theory, should make using the streaming platform more enjoyable for both viewers and streamers.
Guest Star is the title of the opening feature. It’s intended to make it simpler for streamers to include viewers and other content creators in their livestreams.
Channel Switcher is the name of the second feature. The experiment, which Twitch announced, enables users to preview streams without going to the website’s home page.
Channel Switcher is accessible to “only a small percentage of users who are logged in,” according to Twitch. The company also made it clear that Channel Switcher would permit users to view up to a minute of a particular stream uninterrupted by commercials.
The third feature, which is tentatively referred to as “shared bans,” was also unveiled on June 30, but Zach Bussey noticed it before Twitch did.
Shared bans appear to have a fairly simple concept. The new shared ban lists would enable streamers to block abusive viewers from their channels in bulk as opposed to the current system’s requirement that they individually ban known trolls from their chats.
These features might contribute to a more enjoyable Twitch experience. Channel Switcher may help with the issue of what viewers should watch when their favorite streamers are not available, Guest Star may make streams more interactive, and shared bans may enable those streamers to make their chats a more enjoyable place for people to hang out without having to worry about known trolls.
This summer, according to Twitch, some creators will have access to Guest Star, and the company told The Verge that Channel Switcher will be available until mid-July before being discontinued so that it can analyze the experiment’s findings. A request for additional information regarding the availability of the shared bans feature was not immediately answered by the business.
