These are the best unofficial Twitch apps for Windows Phone

Twitch is a popular website that allows players to livestream games from their computers and Xbox Ane or Playstation 4 consoles. Watching someone play a game on Twitch lets you see a lot more of a game than you could from a trailer or video review. Every Twitch channel offers a live chat room, making the human activity of watching a stream a social experience. The host (the person playing) tin can even speak to viewers. It's like a live interactive podcast centered around videogames!

Equally regular Windows Central readers know, we do plenty of Twitch streaming ourselves through my aqueduct Twitch.television receiver/Eastxtwitch – iv or five nights per week, in fact! It's important to us that yous be able to view and enjoy our streams. Unfortunately, Twitch does non offer an official Windows Phone app and our phones can't natively play Twitch streams. Thus nosotros must look to unofficial Twitch apps for our phones of choice.

Not all of the unofficial Twitch apps for Windows Telephone are created equal. I've put the 5 electric current all-time apps through their paces: 8Stream, Space Game Stream, LiveGaming, "Twitch TV," and Unstream. Read on to acquire how they compare and which app is the best in its form.

No perfect app withal

The ideal mobile Twitch app would offer as much of the full Twitch website's functionality as possible. Users shouldn't have to leave the app and visit the site itself to perform important functions similar following a channel or watching by broadcasts.

Surprisingly, only one app in our roundup supports the ability to search for specific channels and follow them whether or not they are online. Co-ordinate to ane developer we questioned, the Twitch API'due south support for following offline channels is not immediately obvious due to cryptic wording in the documentation. Thankfully Unstream does support the characteristic – hopefully others follow suit before long equally well.

The big feature that none of these apps supports is watching past broadcasts. We really desire Windows Phone users to be able to view our streams after they take ended, merely at present you can only practise so from a PC web browser or apps for other platforms. Twitch stores by broadcasts in an entirely different format (.flv) than live broadcasts, which creates a number of technical challenges. It might exist several months before an unofficial Windows Telephone app can play them, if ever.

Even so, most of these apps are bang-up for viewing alive broadcasts. Tuning in during a live stream and chatting forth with your fellow viewers is half the fun of Twitch streams. Thus the question becomes which apps offering the best browsing, viewing, and chatting experiences?

8Stream from Infinite Loop CH

At nowadays, 8Stream is the only Twitch app on Windows Phone that also offers a Windows 8 and RT version. The app itself is gratuitous and supported by ads. A $1.99 in-app purchase disables ads, presumably across both platforms.

This one offers a skilful, make clean interface. Bodily stream browsing is fairly express. You can scroll through a list of featured games, and select one to view a list of active streams for that game. If looking through a random-ish list of games doesn't strike your fancy, you'll take to search for specific games or streams.

8Stream features a fair corporeality of settings with which users can customize their feel, about notably the option of 2 visual themes. A minor gripe, simply all of those settings could easily fit on the same page instead of being spread across three pages.

While 8Stream supports both portrait and landscape orientations, the presentation of each varies in quality. Portrait looks quite proficient, with the video at top and conversation automatically displayed below it. The chat doesn't back up username colors or emoticons (standard Twitch features), but I like the font.

Switching to landscape, y'all won't come across conversation by default. Tapping the screen brings upwardly chat, which overlays the video on a semi-transparent background. Not a terrible solution, only information technology could look a lot amend. Either the transparency is likewise vivid or too dull – probably the former. 8Stream knows its portrait fashion is better, and then users can set portrait to default but not landscape.

One nuisance almost chat: upon joining a stream, the game displays the message:

"Information: Connexion to the chat…"

That's bad English, and it detracts from an otherwise professional presentation.

• Portrait and mural: Both, can ready default to portrait
• Search: Streams or games (two split lists of results)
• Follow or unfollow channels: Yes
• Find and follow offline channels: No
• Scout own channel: No
• Changeable default stream quality : Yes
• Disable video (chat only): No, but can disable chat
• Conversation displays number of viewers or listing: Neither, shows number of followers
• Conversation username colors: No
• Conversation emoticon menu: No
• Switch profiles: Yeah, simply cookies event sometimes restricts the option to disconnecting and reconnecting the aforementioned account
• Multiple or custom themes: Calorie-free or dark

• Monetization: Ads, removable for $i.99

• Download 8Stream for Windows Telephone (free)

Infinite Game Stream from Infinite Square

Things get-go rough for Infinite Game Stream (IGS) with an utterly non-descriptive and poorly-written Store folio.

The bodily app interface looks distinctive, at least, but not in a proficient manner. Rather than a typical plain light or dark background, this i has a blurry grey image that doesn't wrap-around properly when you swipe between the "Menu" and "Recently Viewed" pages. The main issue is the app's option of fonts, which don't look professional at all. They also get pretty tiny in places, even on my Lumia 1520.

From a stream browsing standpoint, IGS has the same basic browsing functionality of 8Stream. Information technology also goes a fiddling further, offer both featured "Streams" and "Recently Viewed" pages.

The search part, sadly, only does not work. All of my searches for popular games returned null results. IGS has not been updated since October. Maybe Twitch inverse how their searches work between then and at present. In any example, the broken search ways the app tin can merely exist used to watch streams yous discover through browsing or are already post-obit.

Streams tin can only exist viewed in landscape manner. By default, the video appears on the left and the conversation on the correct side of the screen. An advertizing (that can't be disabled) appears over the chat window, whereas it would fit much better on the left side above the video.

If split up-screen doesn't do it for y'all, you tin toggle betwixt two total-screen modes: with or without chat. If you lot enable chat in total-screen, the text overlays the video with no transparency effects. I actually think this looks better than 8Stream's partial transparency.

The app'southward ugly font fares worst in chat, though. Usernames appear in blue, making them particularly hard to read. At least chat has an emoticon bill of fare, although sometimes the bodily icons failed to load until I relaunched the app.

Following channels is harder than it should exist. You tin can't follow from within a stream, only outside from the browsing interface. Finally, the Settings menu offers a scant three options, ane of which adds a page of recent Twitch-related tweets to the primary menu.

Infinite Square badly needs to update IGS and get the Search function working. After that, they should focus on making it less likely to induce middle pain. For now, IGS is easily the worst app in our roundup.

• Portrait and mural: Landscape only
• Search: Games (Lists games whether or not anyone is streaming them), appears not to piece of work
• Follow or unfollow channels: Yep, but non while viewing streams
• Find and follow offline channels: No
• Scout own channel: No
• Changeable stream quality: Yes, toggle at top-right corner of screen with chat disabled
• Disable video (chat just): No
• Chat displays number of viewers or list : No
• Chat username colors: No
• Chat emoticon menu: Yes but emoticons sometimes fail to appear in the card
• Switch profiles: Yep, and even offers 'Sign Upward' option that launches spider web browser
• Multiple or custom themes: No

• Monetization: Ads during stream, most menus, full-screen advert at initial startup

• Download Infinite Gaming Stream for Windows Telephone (free)

LiveGaming from Charl A Cilliers

Probably the all-time known Twitch app for Windows Phone, Livegaming boasts a highly professional advent in both menus and chat. You get a single classy visual theme for free, with three actress themes unlockable by in-app purchase.

Browsing is nearly on par with Infinite Game Stream. Users tin can expect through "Featured Channels" and "Acme Games" as well as viewing whatever followed streams that are currently live.

Searching for games or stream names brings up a single list of search results, unlike most other apps that divide by game and stream title. That tin can prove restrictive should yous search for a series or graphic symbol rather than a specific game name. Instead of a list of games with Mario and choosing from there, you lot just get a large list of streams for all Mario games, sorted by number of viewers.

LiveGaming only supports mural mode, but it does so quite well. By default, y'all become full-screen video with a tiny chat icon in the lower-right corner of the screen. Tapping anywhere other than the icon displays the host name, channel title, and current number of viewers. If you don't like the chat icon, y'all can prepare information technology to auto-hide and it won't announced until you lot tap the screen.

Hit the conversation icon brings up chat, of course. The chat appears over the video with a mild layer of transparency; the effect works better than 8Stream's. Usernames mostly appear in crimson, although some testify upward in different colors. Not certain what the rhyme or reason is at that place, equally they don't seem to lucifer the actual Twitch site colors. At any rate, the fonts and colors expect significantly better than any other app in our roundup.

If you but want to watch streams in landscape mode, LiveGaming is a adequately strong app. Just with no back up for switching Twitch profiles or finding and following offline channels, LiveGaming lacks some important features that would allow it to stay at the head of the pack.

• Portrait and mural: Landscape only
• Search: Streams or games, merely one list of results
• Follow or unfollow channels: Yep
• Detect and follow offline channels: No
• Lookout own channel : No
• Changeable stream quality: Yes, Wi-Fi and cellular settings
• Disable video (conversation only): Yes, probably even so streaming video in background
• Chat displays number of viewers or list : Number of viewers
• Chat username colors : No
• Chat emoticon menu: Yes
• Switch profiles: No
• Multiple or custom themes: Yeah, three actress themes with 99-cent donation

• Monetization: 99-cent donation unlocks three extra themes

• Download LiveGaming for Windows Phone (free)

"TwitchTV" from Creato

This app is currently called TwitchTV on the Windows Phone Store. I say currently because I know for certain that Twitch doesn't similar unofficial apps to use the Twitch name.

Even though the store clarification has the give-and-take "Unofficial" up front, the proper noun, icon, and visual design of "TwitchTV" all mimic the official Twitch blueprint also closely for comfort. Don't be surprised if "TwitchTV" gets delisted and returns with another title.

Ignoring the deceptive official Twitch logo at the top of the app's menus, the actual browsing experience beats LiveGaming'south. Users can browse iii different pages: Featured  Streams, Acme Games, and Superlative Steams.

Yous can search for either games or streams. Oddly, both searches are separate from one some other. It would make more sense to allow us input a single search and then swipe betwixt the two results pages like 8Stream does.

"TwitchTV" often fails to load video streams, fifty-fifty though they are live. These problems happen when I visit streams I follow and streams I observe through search results; featured streams work fine. Thus you can't watch a lot of streams through this app, which clearly isn't working as intended.

Portrait mode looks decently sharp. Conversation actually shows different username colors correctly, unlike the other apps we tested. However, a large black bar divides the video and the chat, wasting a significant corporeality of screen existent estate that should be going to chat. The conversation doesn't support emoticons at all, annoyingly. On the plus side, the text input box at the lesser of the screen is transparent, which looks kind of cool.

Although "TwitchTV" supports landscape fashion, it does not offer conversation in that orientation. Not good. Too bad, the Follow push (actually #Follow for some reason) appears as transparent text overlaying the video in both portrait and landscape modes. Positioning it over the video every bit plain text is unintuitive and difficult to see.

Finally, "TwitchTV" but offers a scant iii settings to modify, 1 of which enables a Live tile.

This app is the newest ane in our roundup, and then some crude edges are to be expected. Hopefully Creato changes the proper name and visuals to ameliorate reflect the app'due south unofficial condition, fixes the issue with non-featured streams not working, eliminates the black bars during portrait mode, and continues to refine the app.

• Portrait and mural: Both, chat restricted to portrait
• Search: Streams or games (ii split up searches), resulting streams might not load correctly
• Follow or unfollow channels: Yes, either by borer and property recently viewed streams or mid-stream (hard to see the push)
• Find and follow offline channels: No
• Sentinel ain channel: No
• Changeable stream quality : Yes
• Disable video (chat simply) : No
• Conversation displays number of viewers or list: No
• Chat username colors: Yes
• Chat emoticon menu: No, and no emoticon support
• Switch profiles: Yes
• Multiple or custom themes: No

• Monetization: Ads during menus

• Download "TwitchTV" for Windows Phone (gratuitous)

Unstream from Travis Liew

At last we come up to the most fully-featured Twitch app in our roundup. Unstream offers 2 themes: blackness and custom. Custom uses images from games equally background art on the main menu and gray backgrounds in the sub-menus. Me, I'd put images in the sub-menus for consistency and brand gray backgrounds a third option.

Unstream's main menu only displays Featured Channels, but users can also select "Sentry Live" to enter a sub-menu with three pages: Top Games, Top Channels, and Peak Groups. I believe a "Recently Viewed" pick will exist added in the hereafter.

Search is where Unstream most distinguishes itself from other apps. Not merely can users search for games and streams, nosotros can also search for channels! No other app on Windows Telephone allows you to await for specific channels.

The channels don't take to be online, either. You tin can search for channels like WindowsCentral and Eastxtwitch, select the desired aqueduct from the search results, and cull to follow information technology from the popular-up card at the bottom of the screen. This is basic functionality you'd get from the Twitch website, but only Unstream has bothered to comprise it.

Although Unstream supports portrait and landscape modes, portrait fashion is not much of a looker. By default, the video appears in the eye of the screen with huge black expanses above and beneath it. To bring up the user interface, yous have to direct tap the video – not the black area.

The UI displays the host and channel names and number of viewers at the top. At the bottom, you tin can adjust the stream volume independently from your device's volume, which none of the other apps allows. An ellipsis button jumps to the app's Settings menu, and the chat button opens conversation.

The actual chat mimics the look and layout of Windows Phone's built-in instant messaging. Some comments are right-justified for some reason. Usernames don't use colors or bold text. The bodily text is smaller than normal, which allows for more than of information technology to prove up on-screen. But y'all could too squeeze more text in past putting usernames and their conversation messages on the same line instead of carve up lines.

Chat doesn't wait right in landscape fashion either, but the implementation shows potential. Unstream overlays the text on the right side of the screen with a nighttime transparency layer behind it. So you lot get the video in its full size, with the correct one-half partially obscured and the left half unobscured.

That actually works better than any of the other apps that support landscape manner chat. Simply the goofy right-justification of some chat letters results in usernames and portions of those messages getting cutting off. And like portrait, the actual chat text is tiny and non pretty. If Unstream could keep the text on the right side of the screen like now just match the advent of LiveGaming'due south chat (plus properly support username colors and emoticons), its chat would exist perfect.

One great thing about Unstream's conversation in either orientation: the user list! This app lone lets yous view a listing of people watching the stream. In landscape the list volition announced over the left side of the video. In portrait, it shows up over the chat itself. You lot can swipe to scroll up and down the listing. Being able to come across exactly who is in the chat room is incredibly handy.

Unstream offers an all-encompassing list of options and features that we'll discuss in a future review. The concluding features I'll mention here are the power to picket your ain channel (when it'due south live) and view the profiles of yourself and others. None of the other apps allow those things.

Although the chat won't win whatsoever dazzler contests, Unstream wins this roundup thanks to its many exclusive features. No other unofficial Twitch app for Windows Phone comes as close to offer full Twitch functionality as Travis Liew'south app. He still has more than features planned, then the competition really needs to step upward their game.

Grab the trial or full version of Unstream and exist sure to follow our channels Eastxtwitch and WindowsCentral from within the app. We'll wait forward to seeing you when we stream!

• Portrait and landscape: Both
• Search: Channels (usernames), games, and streams
• Follow or unfollow channels: Yes
• Find and follow offline channels: Yes!
• Watch own channel: Yeah, when aqueduct is broadcasting
• Changeable stream quality: Yes, Wi-Fi and cellular settings
• Disable video (chat only) : No
• Chat displays number of viewers or listing : Both
• Conversation username colors : No
• Chat emoticon menu: No, and no emoticon support
• Switch profiles: Yes
• Multiple or custom themes: Two themes, second one is referred to every bit custom simply tin't be customized

• Monetization: Ad-supported trial, total version costs $1.29

• Download Unstream for Windows Phone ($1.29 with complimentary trial)

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-central-roundup-twitch-windows-phone-apps

Posted by: matthewsshomire.blogspot.com

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