YouTube Gaming, the gameplay streaming platform that arrived in August to take on Twitch, now allows paid subscribers and the ability to broadcast content directly from Android devices.

By enabling paid “sponsorships,” Google closes the biggest gap between YouTube gaming and Amazon-owned Twitch, which has been allowing fans to subscribe to their favorite players for a small monthly fee for years.

YouTube Gaming also offers an advantage; while Twitch requires gamers to regularly attract a certain number of viewers before they can accept subscriptions, Google is not imposing a viewership restriction — so anyone in a supported country can accept cash… eventually.

For now, however, only beta testers can take advantage of the sponsorships feature.

YouTube Gaming sponsors pay $3.99 a month through Google Wallet to support their favorite streamers, and in turn get access to “exclusive chat sessions,” and a badge by their name that allows other viewers to see they are paying supporters.

Google hasn’t confirmed exactly how much of that subscription fee goes to streamers yet, however, so it’s unclear whether it will be more advantageous than Twitch, which takes a 50 percent cut from its subscribers, in a monetary sense.

Google did tell Ars Technica that “the majority of the sponsorships split is given to the creator,” but it doesn’t want to be anymore specific at this point.

In addition to adding sponsorships, YouTube Gaming now supports the ability to stream gameplay directly from an Android-powered device, so you don’t have to play PC or console titles, or buy any additional hardware to begin broadcasting the games you love.

Streaming from Android lets you show not only your gameplay, but also a video feed from your front-facing camera and microphone. You can download the YouTube Gaming update from the Play Store now.

 

• SourceArs Technica