Ever wanted to play games on YouTube? This Google test might be for you

Google is no stranger to gaming, as it previously offered the ill-fated Stadia service until January 2023. Now, it looks like the company is getting back into the game (heh) as part of an experiment.

Google confirmed in a YouTube Community post that it was testing a so-called “Playables” feature on YouTube.

“Playables are games that can be played directly on YouTube on both desktop and mobile devices,” the company explained in its post.

The company says Playables are only available to a limited number of users at the moment, adding that there will be a Playables section on the Home feed. Otherwise, the firm says you can view saved game progress and check out your game history via your YouTube history.

There’s no official word if Playables use game streaming or if these titles are played locally on your device. Google hasn’t dished out any details regarding the game library, either. For what it’s worth, a Wall Street Journal report back in June mentioned a casual, brick-smashing title called Stack Bounce. So it sounds like you should expect simple, mobile-style games rather than console-quality fare.

We’ve asked Google about the technology employed, requirements, and the library itself. We’ll update the article if the company gets back to us. Nevertheless, the test comes a while after Netflix debuted a library of mobile games included with a subscription.