Twitch has begun testing a new way for users to watch live streams with their phones held upright, similar to the short video style on TikTok and Instagram Reels. This change is very important for Indian viewers, who predominantly use smartphones and are already accustomed to watching vertical videos.
With the new Vertical stream feature, Twitch viewers can enjoy streams in a full vertical screen like Instagram reels, making it more comfortable and familiar for mobile users. Twitch calls this “vertical theatre mode,” and you can easily switch between vertical and the usual horizontal view while watching.
Currently, Twitch is only allowing a select few streamers to test this feature. If you get the update, you’ll see a message saying, “Vertical video is here,” and you can test it out.
Twitch is also working on something called dual-format streaming. This helps Twitch streamers show their content both vertically and horizontally at the same time, making it easier to connect with all types of viewers without extra effort.
For viewers, controls and chat will still work smoothly in this new mode. For content creators, there are better camera and mic controls meant for mobile streaming, which should make going live from a phone much simpler.
At the moment, this feature is in the test stage and will be rolled out to more people, including viewers and streamers in India, later in 2025. This vertical experience is designed to make watching and discovering live streams on Twitch as fun as using TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels, but with the special Twitch touch.
Source: Twitch Blog
