YouTube has added a new video playback quality option for Shorts, which will enable users to optimize their viewing experience, while it’s also added a new Minecraft effect for Shorts to celebrate the game’s 15th anniversary.
Yes, Minecraft is 15 years old. Space Invaders, meanwhile, is 45.
Feel old yet?
First off, the new Shorts video quality option has now been made available in your Shorts settings in the app.
As you can see in this example, you can now select “Data Saver” or “Higher Picture Quality”, or leave it on auto detection, which will optimize your playback based on connectivity.
As per YouTube:
“Once a viewer has made a selection in the Shorts player, the selection will be applied either until a new selection is made, or upon exiting the shorts player.”
So if you want to ensure the best quality, you can now manually force the system to keep that playback setting.
YouTube’s also testing new ways to use Super Chat to facilitate viewer interaction during live streams.
“We’ve heard from live stream viewers that they’d like a more expedient way to connect with the community, and what chat offers as of today feels too limited. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be experimenting with a “Reply” button, as well as the ability to like Super Chats, which will offer viewers more meaningful ways to interact with the community.”
Those aren’t major changes, but they will add more ways for viewers to engage with others in the audience during a stream.
Finally, YouTube’s also got a new Minecraft effect for Shorts:
As you can see, the new effect places you in the game. Which is pretty cool. I mean, you can’t actually interact with anything, though maybe you will also be able to get that experience soon, with Minecraft in VR.
But till a fully functional Minecraft VR experience comes along, this is a fun option to celebrate the game.
You can try it out for yourself here.