Discord will enable native streaming for Xbox consoles

Discord has revealed that Xbox games will soon be able to be streamed directly onto its platform. 

The chat app was integrated into the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S late last year, and that integration will expand with native streaming in the near future. At present, the feature is available only for Xbox Insiders as a means of testing its capabilities and ensuring it's ready for public rollout. 

Streaming has been a part of Discord's repertoire for some time, but streaming straight from the console presents a new way for a game, and its developer, to gain visibility. 

When the stream function is made available to the public, players who haven't already linked their Xbox and Discord accounts together will have to do so. From there, they'll go to the Parties and Chats tab on their console and select Discord. Scrolling down to the voice chat option, and then selecting "stream game" will handle the rest.

What is Discord's long-term plan?

Native streaming is an interesting area for Discord to dabble in, as both the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 have the function for the likes of Twitch and YouTube. The platform's blog makes no indication that this feature is exclusive to Xbox consoles, meaning that months down the line, it may come to the PlayStation 5 as well. 

If Discord does have designs towards becoming a larger streaming platform, it would be well-timed. In October, Twitch will launch a Partner Plus program that lets qualified streamers get a larger cut of their subscription avenue. It's one of many divisive changes the platform has made this year regarding stream payouts.

Beyond that, it would also continue Discord's gradual evolution into a larger platform for developers and players alike. Last year, community server forums were introduced to the platform, ironically before (and slightly after) studios like Amazon and Gearbox Software killed their own forums in favor of pivoting to Discord.