Skip to main content

Love that game you're watching on Twitch? Why not buy it for yourself?

twitch buy games banner saga 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Don’t just watch others play games on Twitch. Play them yourself, too. On Monday, the Amazon-owned live-streaming video platform announced its entrance into the computer video game market. While the company has never been on the sidelines as far as gameplay is concerned, it’s now solidly in the fray in the business aspect of the industry as well. Now, when you watch a stream of a game, you’ll have the option to buy the game or in-game content (if it’s available on Twitch) via a new “buy” button. It’ll appear below the video on the channel page, if you’re looking for it.

“Ever since our first baby steps onto the internet, our goal has been to make Twitch the ultimate hub for gaming on the web. What started as a simple streaming platform has become a living, breathing social community,” the company wrote in an announcement. “Soon we’ll be taking another step to further strengthen the community and benefit streamers and viewers alike. Twitch has always been the best place to watch, share, and play games. Soon, it will be the best place to buy games as well.”

Twitch is also offering revenue share to streaming partners who have opted into the new program, so if you buy a game, the streamer gets 5 percent of the revenue. That means a new way for you, the video game fan, to support your favorite streamer, simply by buying a game via his or her channel. Moreover, any purchase you make over $5 gets you a Twitch Crate, described as “a digital loot box with a special reward like a game-specific emote, a chat badge, or some Bits.” Each Crate will be different, as the contents are randomly generated.

All games purchased on Twitch will be available for download and play with the Twitch launcher, or through existing services. At launch, partners include Ubisoft, Telltale Games, Digital Extremes, Hi Rez Studios, Double Fine Games, Fred Wood, 11Bit, Jackbox Games, tinyBuild, Raw Fury, Devolver Digital, Gambitious, Trion Worlds, Blue Mammoth Games, iNK Stories, Versus Evil, Proletariat, Paradox Interactive, Vlambeer, and Campo Santo.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Why you shouldn’t buy the best GPU of last year
RTX 4060 Ti sitting next to the RTX 4070.

Nvidia's Goldilocks GPU this generation has been the RTX 4070. For PC gaming in 2024, with the cost of building a PC moving upward, it hit the perfect balance of performance, price, and features. It's a GPU that can do anything, delivering that premium gaming experience in flagship titles like Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and Alan Wake 2 without costing as much as a used car.

But it's falling behind.

Read more
If you’re done with Palworld, try this monster-catching game next
A summoner poses with chimera in Dicefolk.

Who would have thought that 2024 would be the year of the monster-collecting game? While several have tried (and often struggled) to recapture the joys of Pokémon, this year’s Palworld is perhaps the first game that’s ever truly been able to pull it off. Granted, it did that by trading in finely tuned RPG combat for Ark-like survival crafting that makes it an entirely different game, but a win’s a win. While Palworld has broken records on Steam, its early access nature means you can hit its bottom quickly -- something fans seem to be struggling with as its player count continues to drop.

Thankfully, there’s another monster-catching game you can move on to next. Dicefolk is a new roguelike where players amass a team of animal pals and control them in turn-based battles with dice. As is fashionable as of late, it’s another indie genre fusion that looks to mix roguelikes, deck-builders, and monster-catching RPGs. While it doesn’t excel in any individual category, Dicefolk does offer a creative mash-up of the three that’s sure to find its loyalists.
Gotta roll 'em all
Dicefolk follows a fairly traditional roguelike formula, though one that’s loaded up with twists. When I start a run, I’m dropped into a small map dotted with different icons. Some take me into a battle, while others give me upgrades or let me shop for gear. My goal in each level is to find and defeat the boss encounter, while tackling as many of the area’s challenges as I want to refine my party.

Read more
The best GPUs if you’re upgrading from a GTX 1650
RTX 3050 graphics card among PC accessories.

Nvidia's GTX 1650 is nothing short of a legendary graphics card. The humble, budget-focused GPU has achieved a massive status among PC gamers, sitting at the top of the Steam hardware survey for years. It's taken a back seat to Nvidia's newer RTX 3060 in recent months, but it's still owned by around 4% to 5% of gamers who take part in the Steam hardware survey.

It's starting to age out of relevance, however. The GTX 1650 is four years old, and it's struggling to keep up with modern games like Alan Wake 2 and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Although the GTX 1650 is still a great option for low-lift esports titles like Overwatch 2 and Valorant, you should upgrade if you want to experience AAA games in 2024 and beyond.

Read more