At its annual TwitchCon event, Amazon-owned livestreaming giant Twitch announced its ambitious leap into the vertical video arena. Now, it seems those plans are rapidly taking shape, as market intelligence firm AppSensa has uncovered initial alpha tests already live with a select group of streamers. This strategic move signals Twitch’s clear intent to directly challenge the dominance of vertical video behemoths like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
AppSensa’s deep dive into a recent build of the Twitch app revealed fascinating details about these budding vertical streams. Their research pinpointed references to a dedicated ‘vertical theater mode,’ complete with unique user interface elements and the convenient ability to toggle between Twitch’s classic and the new vertical formats. Users encountering the feature for the first time will even be greeted by friendly educational pop-ups, reassuring them that ‘vertical video is here’ while reminding them it’s still an early test. Crucially, the discovery of camera and microphone permission handling hints at the future of live, vertical broadcasts.
While AppSensa’s findings indicate the tests are currently limited to ‘a few streamers,’ Twitch itself has offered a rare glimpse into its plans. When approached for comment, the company remained tight-lipped, reiterating its TwitchCon Rotterdam keynote promise to begin testing with a small number of channels during the summer, with expansion to more users expected later in the year. Beyond vertical video, Twitch had also previously teased dual-format and 2K streaming tests, underscoring its broader push to innovate its core streaming experience.