New Twitch update will change discoverability, a game-changer for new creators

According to reports, it seems the new Twitch update will change the UI of the browser page on the website in an attempt to bolster stream discoverability. Twitch Partner LowcoTV recently shared a beta version of the new look on her Twitter, which has received widespread approval from the community.

The changed UI has new features such as stream-autoplay in a mini-player, quick access to related streamers, and the added advantage of not having to watch a pre-roll ad while trying to find a stream to watch.

Many believe this will help new streamers grow by increasing the ease of access for a viewer to pick and choose from a number of streams without the hassle of ever going to another page.

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Twitch's new Browse UI might help new streamers grow

The current 'Browse' section of Twitch is not interactive and forces viewers to individually click on streams to see what is going on in the respective streams.

Shown below is the current browsing page for Fall Guys. Notice the endless table of static images that meet the user:

Current Browse page (Image via Sportskeeda)

After choosing the game you want to watch, you will be met with a list of streamers currently streaming the game. But in that list of hundreds, if not thousands, the only way to distinguish between each channel is to go by a still image of the thumbnail and stats like the number of viewers and channel language.

The new Browse page, however, is different in a good way. It will have a mini-player at the top with the selected stream playing to give the viewer a good idea about the stream and its content without even leaving the browsing page.

New Twitch browser page (Image via Zach Bussey/Twitter)

Viewers can easily click on another stream to sample it, too, making the process of trying to find a new streamer much easier. As pointed out by netizens, this will boost channel growth for new streamers.

Of course, the mini-player can only play a ~1-minute preview of the stream before stopping, but that is plenty of time to judge the streamer's overall attitude and content.

A big problem with finding new streams is the pre-roll ads that play before the stream even starts. Without going into the debate about the new Twitch ad policy, LowcoTV said in her preview that she had not seen a single ad on the Browse page. A Twitch employee also corroborated this:

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Social Media reactions to the alleged update

Twitter was abuzz with people talking about the update. Many users thought this UI change made sense and commended the purple platform for the update:

Some Redditors have raised questions about whether something like this can help new streamers. Their point is that people mostly go to new streamers through word of mouth, i.e., when they see another streamer in a collab, hear about them from their favorite streamer, or when their streamer raids another streamer.

Some even said they let YouTube "discover new streamers" for them:

A few actually thought that the change might make it worse for small streamers, as the fancy new Browse page will end up promoting existing well-established streamers:

Reddit comment about new Update (Image via LiveStreamFails / Reddit)

Some want the Amazon-owned platform to incorporate hover-preview rather than the click-to-preview option:

The new update has the potential to allow more traffic to pass through the explore page than ever before. The key to increasing any traffic to a page is to increase interactivity, which increases the accessibility of the viewer to reach their desired destination.

Plenty of people want to find new streamers to watch, and the fact that Twitch is willing to overhaul the 'Browse' page means they are working towards a solution.