New feature on Twitch reduces stream delay by one third

A new change coming to Twitch will pull streams closer to the present than ever before.

Enabling a new feature will reduce stream delay on the service by 33 percent on average, the streaming service announced today. To take advantage of the change, streamers need do no more than toggle a switch prior to going live in order to enable the delay reduction.

Twitch accomplished this by reducing the amount of video “stored in the processing pipeline” after video segments were cut from four seconds in length to two, thus cutting the reduction in delay between broadcaster and audience by about one third.

Georgia Price, Twitch’s product marketing manager, said the change was made in an effort to better serve the platform’s users.

“Based on community feedback, one of the major projects we have been working on over the last year is significantly reducing stream delay,” Price said.

That reduction will allow viewers of live events and matches to keep themselves that much closer to real-time results. But the change will likely be felt the most among broadcasters who lean heavily on viewer interaction.

Steaming on Twitch has become a career path for a variety of gamers, from speedrunners who burn through popular titles as quickly as possible to those who simply look to show off the latest big studio releases. And for most, interacting with viewers through Twitch chat is hugely important. It helps establish a sense of community, and motivates users to subscribe to channels and even donate to streamers whose efforts they wish to support.

Stream delays have made conversations between streamers and chat users difficult in the past. And while this won’t act as an instant cure for that difficulty, it will reduce delay and make things feel a little more dynamic.

So take heart, Twitch users: Through the glory of technological innovation, your favorite streamers will now be exposed to your kappa spam 33 percent faster.

Image via Twitch