Skip to main content

A new beta of Microsoft’s Beam game-streaming service now live for Pro users

microsofts beam game streaming service updated pro subscribers beta interface
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Matt Salsamendi from the Beam game-streaming service posted a blog on Tuesday stating that “Pro” users can now test a new version that was built from the ground up for scalability. To compete with Twitch, in August Microsoft acquired Beam, which moves away from Twitch’s watch-and-chat setup by enabling users to directly interact with game streamers and even play along. The goal of the Beam acquisition is to provide native live-streaming to Windows and Xbox-based gamers.

The new beta enables users to log into the Beam service via Xbox Live, adding to the current Twitter and Discord options. Eventually, this will be the only way users can log in because Microsoft wants a “universal and easy-to-use” authentication mechanism. This method also promises deeper social experiences, game integrations, and security enhancements. It also merges Beam into Microsoft’s overall Windows/Xbox gaming community.

“We’ll be adopting a Twitter-style username system where, while your username is your unique gamertag, you can specify a custom channel display name that viewers see when going to your channel (e.g. My gamertag is Salsa, but my channel name could be MattDoesGaming),” Salsamendi explains. “It’s likely we’ll adopt a verification system shortly after launch, too, so you know that I’m the real MattDoesGaming, of course.”

In addition to the Xbox Live login feature, the team has improved Beam’s overall performance. According to the blog, the site now loads five times faster than before, and is better optimized for browsers on mobile devices. That means the team is retiring the spinner that hovered on screens like a hurricane when loading content. The site renders faster, too at up to 60 frames per second, Salsamendi says.

But that’s not all. With the performance upgrade comes a new home page sporting more content than before. The revamped interface now provides more screen space for broadcasters, the ability to feature mature streams to users aged 18 and older, and means for scheduling and featuring multiple broadcasters and events. The experience is now more consistent across the site too, sporting “kinetic” animations for interactions and transitions.

Another feature added to the beta is an increased bitrate and improved resolution. The team raised the maximum bitrate to 10 megabits per second, and Beam now supports 1,440p streams running at 60 frames per second. Super high motion 1080p streaming “looks awesome,” Salsamendi adds..

Other additions and improvements made to the Beam service in the new beta include “deep” improvements to the chat system, and a new video player based on HTML5 (bye-bye Flash). The team has also created a new Beam logo that resembles a blue/white life preserver, an eyeball, or a pool ball without a number: you decide.

Beam Pro users can check out all the freshly baked features now in the new beta while mainstream Beam users will see the updates roll out in early 2017. Beam for the Xbox One console is expected to arrive sometime this winter as well, along with “hybrid” applications for mobile users in early 2017.

As a reminder, Beam Pro costs $8 per month, and provides access to new features, premium support, premium chat highlights, and a “2x” experience multiplier. The subscription tier also removes advertisements.

Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
Microsoft pledges to bring Xbox PC games to Nvidia GeForce Now
geforce-now-og-no-text-1200x630

Microsoft has announced a 10-year partnership with Nvidia aimed at bringing Xbox PC games to its cloud gaming service competitor Nvidia GeForce Now as part of its ongoing efforts to win over companies skeptical of its potebtial Activision Blizzard acquisition.
This means that players can use Nvidia GeForce Now to play the Steam, Epic Games Store, or Windows versions of titles like Halo Infinite, Redfall, and eventually, Call of Duty through the cloud on GeForce Now. Third-party publishers with games on the Windows Store can also now grant streaming rights to Nvidia. This announcement came during a European Commission hearing where Microsoft tried to convince regulators that its impending acquisition should bne allowed.
Microsoft has been under a lot of regulatory scrutiny even since it announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022. It's trying to win over industry peers with deals like this one with Nvidia. This week, the Communications Workers of America voiced its approval of the deal, and Microsoft has signed a binding agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms as well. Previously, Nvidia had raised concerns about Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, but the press release announcing this agreement states that the deal "resolves Nvidia's concerns," and that Nvidia now gives "full support for regulatory approval of the acquisition." 
Regulatory bodies in the U.S., U.K., and Europe are worried that Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will hurt the game industry and sabotage Microsoft's competitors in both console and cloud gaming. Nvidia GeForce Now is seen as one of the biggest competitors to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud service offerings, which makes it surprising that it reached an agreement with Nvidia. However, this deal also demonstrates how Microsoft is willing to make concessions so that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved.

Read more
This console generation isn’t about games or hardware. It’s about services
A character stands below a ship in Starfield.

It’s been over two years since the start of the current console generation, which launched with a rocky start at the end of 2020. You'd think it's been more than long enough to understand what it's all about, but for many, there's still confusion. That might be changing this year. As Tomas Franzese wrote earlier this month, 2023 could be the year where we finally see what games define this generation’s consoles, at least in terms of exclusives. He also noted that games could stop being cross-platform, launching on just current-gen consoles instead of simultaneously on last-gen ones.

While that'll finally give us some memorable games, it doesn't bring us closer to defining the hardware itself. Besides a few extra teraflops and new ultra-fast SSDs, there isn’t much that helps the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S stand out from their predecessors. Sure, the PS5 looks like a giant spaceship, and the Xbox Series X is built like a fridge, but we didn’t know what these devices could offer that the PS4 and Xbox One couldn’t besides some pretty lighting effects and virtually non-existent loading times.

Read more
Nvidia kills off GameStream on Shield, points users to Steam
Nvidia Shield 16gb Android TV

Nvidia is discontinuing its GameStream service on its Shield and Shield TV streaming boxes (among the best streaming devices on the market). In an email sent to GameStream users, the company announced it would start rolling out an update in mid-February that removes GameStream from the Nvidia Games app.

GameStream has allowed Shield owners to stream games to their TV from their PC at up to 60 frames per second in 4K. Specifically, the app was designed with Steam's Big Picture interface in mind, allowing you to play Steam games with ease (dubbed "GameStream Ready"). Nvidia is pointing users to the Steam Link app available on the Shield TV, which functions in a similar way.

Read more