YouTube Gaming introduces gift subs, here’s how they work

William Davis Published 11/05/2022

As many Twitch streamers leave for YouTube Gaming, they can take the gift subs system with them.

YouTube Gaming has launched a gift subs equivalent beta program. Gifted memberships will function almost the exact same as they do on Twitch, but a couple of key differences. The program is currently a limited beta for high-profile creators. Here’s how YouTube gifted memberships work and how to get them.

Popular streamer Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter announced the beta through social media on May 10. YouTube has teased adding a gift subs equivalent for most of 2022. This is the first time that the program has been confirmed to exist. Existing streamers can apply to join the gifted memberships beta through a survey.

This move is part of Youtube Gaming’s slow advance on Twitch’s streaming market. The newer platform has already courted several major streamers including Herschel “Dr DisRespect” Beahm and Sykkuno. Gift subs are a significant portion of big streamers’ income, so adding them to YouTube gives streamers even more reason to ditch Twitch.

How do YouTube gifted memberships work?

To receive YouTube gift subs, viewers will first need to enable gifted memberships. This can be done through the gift symbol on the chat ticker or when another viewer buys subs. On enabled channels, viewers will be automatically entered to win random gift subs purchased by another. Viewers lucky enough to get a gift sub can enjoy all the membership perks including custom emotes.

During the gifted membership beta, viewers can only purchase gift subs through desktop mode. Mobile options are likely to be added after the official release. Purchasing gifted memberships is also limited to existing subscribers.

Gifted YouTube memberships are currently only enabled for channels with joining costs of $5 or less. Creators can change their joining price to fit the beta’s requirement. This limit will probably also be extended once the gifted memberships feature goes official.

Read Also

Twitch

Kai Cenat hits 1 million concurrent viewers for the second time, apologizes to ex-girlfriend GiGi Khizar Mundia It has been a busy few weeks for the hugely popular content creator Kai Cenat. First he announced his return to streaming, crossing 1 million concurrent viewers for the second time in his career, and he has also confirmed participants of the Streamer University 2026. The American has also discussed details of his personal life and the drama involving his ex-girlfriend Gabrielle “GiGi” Alayah. The Twitch star's return came after ...

Twitch

Kai Cenat finally announces Streamer University 2026 participants Khizar Mundia Twitch star Kai Cenat took a roughly nine month break from streaming to focus on his clothing line, but he has now returned and the first item on his agenda is hosting the Streamer University 2026. Kai Cenat surprised everyone when he announced a streaming break to focus on his clothing line, Vivet. He made a brief comeback for The Streamer Awards last year, but didn’t resume streaming. That has now ...

News

iShowSpeed breaks down after Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2026 World Cup elimination Khizar Mundia Cristiano Ronaldo is known to be Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr.’s favorite football player, and he has made it his mission to attend every match of the Portuguese forward during the ongoing 2026 World Cup. He made an appearance at the last-16 match against Spain, but Portugal's 1-0 loss left the streamer devastated. iShowSpeed has been consistently livestreaming the FIFA World Cup 2026, but he recently missed a Portugal games due ...

Twitch

Twitch bans Kaceytron as fans call for tougher action over dangerous on-stream behavior Khizar Mundia Kacey "Kaceytron" Caviness has been part of her fair share of controversies over the years, with feuds and legal cases marking her time on Twitch. The American streamer's latest stunt has seemingly led to a ban on the streaming platform. This is nothing new to Kaceytron, and the streamer’s various infractions have led to her channel being suspended five times. However, some viewers feel that she has crossed a line ...

Twitch

Kai Cenat joins growing multistreaming trend, announces return Khizar Mundia Twitch streamer Kai Cenat has announced that he is ending his exclusivity with Twitch and will be multistreaming content following his recent return to livestreaming. Kai Cenat has consistently streamed on Twitch since his streaming debut and has amassed over 20 million followers on the platform. This wasn’t for the lack of options, as the streamer had reportedly been offered a lucrative amount to stream on Kick in 2023. The ...

News

X launches Live Studio in bid to rival Twitch and Kick Khizar Mundia Social media giant X has been pushing for content streamers to start livestreaming on the platform, and Head of Product Nikita Bier has announced the launch of Live Studio. X isn’t particularly known for its livestreaming capabilities, and the platform is typically used by clippers to make memorable moments go viral. However, X Head of Product Nikita Bier has been encouraging creators to multistream their content on the platform for ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed hits Instagram milestone, gets told to ‘go home’ by Argentina fan Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. has hit another milestone after surpassing 50 million followers on Instagram, but the streamer also found himself on the receiving end of taunts during the Argentina vs Cape Verde match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. iShowSpeed has been consistently livestreaming the World Cup in North America, but he had to host a watch-along for Portugal's Round of 16 match due to travel complications. The YouTuber ...