Oliver Haslam·

Download: Twitch Desktop App For Windows, Mac Released

Hugely popular game streaming service Twitch has today launched its first desktop app for Windows and Mac, bringing all of the famous Twitch features to the desktop for the first time while also allowing the brand to break free of the web browser.

Previously only available via the Twitch website and its mobile apps, features like watching live streams and chatting while doing so are now free of such constraints.

That, of course, is only the tip of the iceberg. The new, free Twitch app also brings with it a raft of features that big Twitch fans will be pleased to take advantage of. Based on the CurseForge platform acquired by Twitch last year, the new app includes the aforementioned streaming and chatting while a new Friends Sync feature will try to ensure everyone has all of their friends with them no matter what.

With public and private messaging included, the Twitch app also supports video and audio calling, which is a sure sign that the app is trying to compete with Discord, a service that began testing its own video chatting feature very recently indeed. Fans of Twitch will also be pleased to learn that the app also supports a huge number of game add-ons that have been created by the modding community, as well as in-game overlays so users can accept calls without needing to switch between windows.

Finally, the Twitch app will also bring with it Servers, “a virtual home for your community to watch, play, and chat together even when the stream is offline.”

If all this sounds good, then you can get your hands on the Twitch for Windows or Mac app directly from the app.twitch.tv website and as is to be expected, it will not cost you a penny to do so.

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