Stream Introduces A Broadcast Service, Watch What Your Friends Are Failing At

Steam has announced a new service for us! You can now (by opting into the beta) watch what your friends are playing, and that's awesome.

It sounds great in theory, but how well will everyone's internet hold up? As this will send additional packets across the internet, so it won't be for those with slow internet.

For the privacy concious amongst us, who probably don't use Steam anyway, the first time someone asks to watch, you get presented with a Steam pop-up asking if you want to do it.

I look forward to watching you all fail, horribly. Sadly it seems like it's not available on Linux yet. Their FAQ states this:

QuoteSteam Broadcasting is currently supported through the Steam Client on Windows 7 and Windows 8. Support for Linux, OSX and Windows Vista will supported in the future.

If you try to watch a game from someone on Linux this happens:

QuoteSteam Broadcasting is not currently supported on Cheeseness's system

Too bad, I can't watch aliens destroy Cheese in XCOM yet.

See the full page on Steam here. Copied below:

QuoteStarting today you can watch your friends’ games with the click of a button via Steam Broadcasting, now available in beta. When you see a friend in game, simply click on "Watch Game" from their profile or from the Steam Client Friend's List to open a window into their gameplay -- no game ownership, special fees, or additional apps required.

The beta is open to everyone on Steam who wants to participate by opting in to the Steam Client beta through the Steam Settings panel. For the time being, concurrent viewing may be limited as the beta is scaled up to support the broader audience.

As always, we want your feedback and ideas on how to make this feature better. Make sure to check out the Steam Broadcast discussions and FAQ, and let us know what you think!

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.