Twitch adds video speed controls to slow down that amazing play

Now that Twitch is making a bigger deal out of pre-recorded videos, it's competing more directly with services like YouTube -- and that means adding the kind of playback controls you take for granted elsewhere. Accordingly, the service has introduced a reworked video settings menu that adds speed controls. You can slow all the way down to 0.25X to relive a game-winning moment, or ramp up to 2X if you're skipping through the slow parts.

The revamp also streamlines access to the most common settings and groups some that were otherwise scattered. These additions aren't likely to change your viewing habits in the near future, of course. Twitch may be diversifying beyond games, but the odds are still high that you'll head elsewhere if you're watching non-gaming clips. However, you could see this as laying groundwork. The more Twitch expands its catalog, the more people it will attract beyond Twitch's core gamer audience. It needs to be ready when those newcomers arrive, and even little features like this could help win them over.