YouTube has expanded beyond its original purpose of hosting only long-form videos. It now offers a variety of media formats, including short-form videos and online games through a new feature called ‘Playables’. This initiative enables users to play games directly on the streaming platform.

The announcement comes via the Google Support page for YouTube test features and experiments. It states that a limited number of users on YouTube will now have access to Playables, and if you’re a part of that group, you’ll see a new section on your YouTube homepage called “Playables”. This section will appear next to other sections on the home feed.

Moreover, it is supported on both Mobile and desktop. Further, users will also be able to view and control their Playables history and saved game progress. As it is a limited public beta test of the feature, you may or may not see it right away. There’s no word regarding what types of games are included in the Playables program.

However, back in June of this year, it was reported that Google was testing Playables internally with the employees. In an email meant for staff that was seen by a publication, Playables included a single title called Stack Bounce, a game in which you break up layers of a brick wall using a bouncing ball. The same title is also available on Google’s GameSnacks service.

While responding to the publication’s request for comment on the development, a YouTube spokesperson said at that time that gaming has always been an area of interest for the company. Gaming seems to be the new playing field for major streaming platforms. With Netflix jumping into the gaming scene, it was only a matter of time until YouTube did the same. Netflix went a step ahead earlier last month and also announced games that now work on TVs via the cloud gaming test through the Netflix app.