Facebook launches Facebook Gaming app in push to beat Twitch

Nina Forneloza Published 22/04/2020

Facebook’s efforts to expand its presence in the gaming market continue on.

Facebook launched its Facebook Gaming streaming app. The app allows users to watch streamers on the platform, stream live gameplay themselves, and even play games with friends. Facebook Gaming was initially set to launch in June but with the ongoing global situation, more people were given time to stay at home and play their favorite games.

The app is available on Google Play for Android users and has over five million downloads. Its iOS version is currently pending approval from Apple.

“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’s App head Fidji Simo said in a statement.

Facebook’s continues to push forward in gaming

Facebook Gaming comes with the “Go Live” feature. It lets users broadcast their live gameplay without the need for third-party software. Its interface resembles that of the Facebook App and features instant games that can be played and broadcasted at any time. Users can also see what their friends are playing.

Facebook has been trying to establish itself in gaming and esports for years now, but has expanded those efforts over recent months. The company recently launched Facebook Tournaments, which allows users to organize online tournaments using the platform.

Surprisingly, Facebook Gaming will not include ads as of now. It currently relies on “stars” from viewers which is similar to Twitch’s “bits”. The company has been testing the Facebook Gaming app in southeast Asia and Latin America for the past 18 months.

Facebook was once a top gaming platform during the Farmville era, but things have changed for the worse over recent years. Twitch has an airtight grasp on live streaming while YouTube currently dominates video sharing, with little room available competitors.

Facebook has tried to remedy this, but there’s still a significant gap between Facebook and its competitors in terms of viewing time for live gaming content. Twitch has recorded 3.1 billion hours while YouTube clocked 1.1 billion hours. Facebook only logged 554 million hours in the first quarter of 2020.

With the launch of Facebook Gaming globally, the firm aims to bridge the gap.

Nina Forneloza

About Nina Forneloza

Nina Forneloza is a huge fan of gaming, but her favorite genres of games above all other are gacha games, first-person shooting games, and role-playing games. When she isn’t looking for a lucky pull in the latest gacha, you’re likely to find her in a competitive Valorant lobby or playing the latest big single-player RPG. Either way, you can be assured that she’ll be into it and ready to write about the experience.

View full profile

Read Also

News

The Social Reckoning: Will Sequel Live up to the Original? Zachary Roberts The Social Reckoning is going to come out next weekend, the long-awaited follow-up to 2010's The Social Network, the Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg biopic. That is largely hailed as a masterpiece and considered one of the best biopics ever. But can the sequel match up? Kalshi traders are not convinced according to the current implied probability at the prediction market. Legacy sequels are hard, especially when the original movie is ...

Twitch

Lacy Turns Off Twitch Ads — Here’s What the Streamer Has To Say Khizar Mundia Nick “Lacy” Fosco announced in a recent Twitch stream that he wants his viewers to enjoy his content and is turning off ads from all his future broadcasts. Lacy was last in the limelight when he announced that he was leaving CORE, the streamer organization that was primarily comprising the ex-FaZe boys. He then hosted a gaming marathon with Marlon “Mar3lg” Lundgren Garcia in September, and now Lacy is going ...

Twitch

Dan Clancy Reveals Twitch Uses AI To Link Streamers With Brands Khizar Mundia Ad revenue is a major contributor to a streamer’s overall earnings, and Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has explained how the platform is using AI to match brands to creators. Advertising is a major part of Twitch’s business, but the platform also needs to ensure creators meet brands’ suitability criteria. Clancy discussed how Twitch uses AI to identify suitable creators and flag those who don’t match a brand’s requirements during a ...

Twitch

Will Kai Cenat Grow His Twitch Subscribers in the Remainder of 2026? Khizar Mundia Twitch streamer Kai Cenat is one of the most popular personalities on the platform, with his number of followers climbing with every new event that he announces. However, his subscriber numbers have been less straightforward. The American went on an unexpected break after shattering Twitch subscriber records with his Mafiathon 3, but eventually returned with Streamer University 2026. The creator did become the most-subscribed Twitch streamer after his return, but ...

Dota 2

Yandex to repeat?: BLAST SLAM VIII preview, predictions, and more Michael Hassall If you can believe it, we’re already on the eighth edition of BLAST SLAM, as BLAST SLAM VIII kicks off tomorrow (Sep. 29) pitting 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams against each other in what promises to be the first big challenge of this young season. Let’s face it: At PGL Wallachia, we were missing a lot of the heavy hitters. No TI15 champs, no PARIVISION, not BetBoom, ...

News

New York Sues Polymarket Over Gambling Laws As Prediction Market Hits Back Michael Hassall The New York Attorney General, the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the State of New York has filed legal proceedings against prediction market giant Polymarket alleging it is an unlicensed gambling company. First reported by Reuters earlier today (Monday, Sep. 28), Polymarket immediately launched a countersuit challenging the lawsuit’s claim that they constitute a gambling company, and kicking off a legal battle that could have huge implications for ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed Answers Fan Questions: Opens Up About Mental Health and One Piece Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. recently did an extensive Q&A where he answered several fan questions, talking about things such as mental health and loneliness despite being massively popular, while he also debunked being a One Piece “larper”. iShowSpeed is arguably the biggest IRL streamer in the world right now, with 2026 being a major year for the creator. Whether it was livestreaming the 2026 FIFA World Cup or being listed ...