Facebook to launch its own Facebook Gaming app

Facebook is set to launch its own dedicated gaming app for Android devices tomorrow, Monday the 20th of April.

As The New York Times reports, the Facebook Gaming app will be completely free and will allow Facebook users to both watch and stream live gameplay straight from their phones.

While the Facebook Gaming app will initially be Android exclusive, Facebook reportedly says that an iOS version will be released as soon as Apple approves it.

The app will also introduce a new Go Live feature, which The New York Times says that it’ll let “users upload streams of other mobile games on the same device by pressing just a few buttons.” These streams can be shared directly to a user’s own Facebook page.

“Investing in gaming in general has become a priority for us because we see gaming as a form of entertainment that really connects people,” said Fidji Simo, head of the Facebook app. “It’s entertainment that’s not just a form of passive consumption but entertainment that is interactive and brings people together.”

Facebook’s new gaming app isn’t the company’s first foray into the world of game streaming. Users have been able to stream games on Facebook for a long while now and, back in November 2019, the site managed to snap up streamer Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang who now streams exclusively through Facebook.