Valve takes on Twitch with Steam Broadcasting beta

Valve has launched Steam Broadcasting in beta, allowing Steam users to livestream without having to utilize third-party services such as Twitch.

In an announcement on Steam News, the games and software distributor details how players can stream gameplay live to their friends and other Steam users.

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 announcement post reads.

Twitch VP of Marketing Matthew DiPietro has since offered a statement regarding Steam’s new service:

"We are huge fans of Steam and work with Valve regularly on various events and product integrations. While Steam’s broadcasting solution and the Twitch platform are very different things with vastly different feature sets, it’s really validating to see a company like Valve embrace streaming in this way. Live video is the future of social connectivity for gamers and this is another proof point. We wish them the best of luck."

Steam Broadcasting is automatically enabled when you open a game, with a privacy prompt offered the first time a friend requests to watch. Valve has yet to add a video recording feature, but it seems a likely feature by the time the service exits beta.