Twitch's Desktop App Is Shutting Down Next Month
Twitch is shutting down its desktop app starting next month. The surprise move showcases a rare step backward for the streaming platform that has only seen growth for the past several years.
The news comes courtesy of emails sent to Twitch app users (via Digital Trends) notifying them that app will shut down on April 30. Twitch says that the shutdown was "based on usage and community feedback." Note that this closure is only for Twitch’s PC desktop app, while the TV, mobile, and console apps remain unaffected. Desktop users can still tune into Twitch via their browser.
Related: That Time Bruce Willis And The Creator Of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Made A Game Together
Twitch’s help page provides more details on the shutdown alongside instructions on how to uninstall the app from your machine.
"We’ve made the difficult decision to say goodbye to the Twitch Desktop App on April 30th," wrote Twitch. "This decision was not made lightly and came from a combination of usage and user feedback. This move allows us to invest more heavily in enhancing and adding new ways to engage with the creators and communities you care about."
Twitch now recommends users bookmark twitch.tv for easy access.
The Twitch desktop app originally was called Curse, but rebranded in 2017 alongside the release of then-new features such as mods and game addons for WoW and Minecraft as well as the ability to directly purchase games through the Twitch app. Voice and video calls with other Twitch users were also just a single click away.
Even though the Twitch app used less system resources than the browser version, it’s hard to argue with the convenience of browser-based apps, and Twitch’s own numbers evidently confirmed it wasn’t worth investing resources
Read more on thegamer.com
