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You can now stream directly from your desktop or PC game with Facebook Live

By Koh Wanzi - on 23 Mar 2017, 11:16am

You can now stream directly from your desktop or PC game with Facebook Live

Image Source: Facebook

Facebook Live has finally rolled out a long overdue desktop streaming feature. Starting today, you’ll be able to live stream directly from Facebook’s desktop site, a significant step up for the previously mobile-only feature (with the exception of businesses with their own Pages).

While desktop streaming opens up more options for users to share and communicate with their friends, the really interesting takeaway is what it means for Facebook Live as a Twitch or YouTube Gaming competitor.

The live streaming feature supports more than just your webcam feed, and streamers will be able to broadcast from external hardware and streaming software. This means that Facebook Live videos can also include gameplay footage and even picture-in-picture videos that have become a staple in so many Twitch streams. Suddenly, every Facebook account is a Twitch account with an existing audience.

It will work with popular streaming programs like Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), XSplit, and Wirecast, and setting up a stream is a pretty hassle-free process. You can start a stream by clicking this link or on the Live Video option on your profile, and Facebook will walk you through each step.

Image Source: Facebook

The ability to broadcast directly from streaming software also means that you can add overlays and onscreen graphics to make your stream more slick and polished. There’s even the option to share the stream on a friend’s Timeline, or in a separate group, event, or Page that you manage.

Facebook Live will generate a Server URL and Stream Key, which you can then paste into your streaming software depending on its specific requirements.

People will be able to react and comment on your stream while it is live, and you can respond in real-time as well.

Before this, live gameplay on Facebook was pretty much limited to partnerships with developers like Blizzard (hence the proliferation of Overwatch streams on Facebook), and this update makes Facebook Live a very viable Twitch alternative.

To be sure, Twitch is still better for gamers with many more gaming-oriented features like a new desktop app and a soon-to-be released feature that will let you purchase games directly on the platform. Twitch users are also able to monetize their work, something that Facebook is already working on.

Desktop streaming also takes Facebook Live beyond Twitter and Periscope’s offering, and if it gets the formula right, it could stand to enjoy quite explosive growth, especially given Facebook’s massive user base.

Source: Facebook

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