Microsoft rebrands Beam, the live streaming app that it acquired in 2016. Calling it 'Mixer', it's the company's answer to Twitch and YouTube Gaming.
Known to have low-latency videos, Mixer's name that was announced on May 25th, 2017, comes in the middle of a larger site-wide rebranding.
The rebrand comes three years after Amazon acquired Twitch.tv, almost two years after YouTube launched its standalone YouTube Gaming app, and days after Facebook introduced a similar feature that lets users bring in a guest while live streaming.
Microsoft didn't just rebranded Beam. Mixer is also getting features that are available from other apps people use to stream games as well as other contents.
It includes the ability for up to four people to stream simultaneously. With it, viewers will see the screen divided up into four sections of all the people who are streaming.
Its Interactive development kit also allows users to set up audience's participation, like for example, allowing the audience to vote on choices while the streamer is playing a game. Additionally, Microsoft also releases Mixer Create mobile apps that allows users stream live.
Mixer is available on Windows 10 PC, Xbox One, as well as on iOS and Android.