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Facebook to launch game streaming app to try and rival Twitch, YouTube

Words with friends.

Your parents' favourite social network wants to get into game streaming.

Facebook Gaming, a new app from Facebook, is expected to launch worldwide today. Its aim is to rival market leader Twitch, in a crowded space already full of competition from YouTube Gaming and Mixer.

Today's launch is expected to go live imminently for Android devices, with iOS to follow.

The app has been in testing in specific regions for 18 months, and previously was slated for a June release. Recent global events have brought this forward, however.

"Investing in gaming in general has become a priority for us because we see gaming as a form of entertainment that really connects people," Facebook exec Fidji Simo told The New York Times. "We're seeing a big rise in gaming during quarantine."

You can already stream yourself playing games via Facebook, but this app is designed to make it easier to watch others doing the same and to let you stream yourself playing mobile games with ease.

Facebook Gaming will initially feature no ads, and instead take a cut when streamers earn "stars", a viewer payment feature.

"We don't want to be the background window in a Chrome tab while someone is doing their homework or doing something else," fellow Facebook exec Vivek Sharma concluded. "With mobile, if you have the app open and you're using the app, it's in the foreground. You can't do anything else on your mobile phone, and that is extremely powerful."

Catch me on Words with Friends tonight!