Xbox One Will Have A YouTube App At Launch

The PS4 got a decent selection of streaming video apps when it launched on Friday, but it was missing what is arguably the most important video app of all – YouTube. The Xbox One won’t be missing out though.

YouTube announced today that it has prepared an app for the Xbox One launch. Much like the Xbox 360 YouTube app, the Xbox One app will give you access to all your subscriptions, videos and more on the new console. More importantly, the new YouTube app will also display videos in 1080p.

With YouTube being built for the Xbox One, the team has decided to include two features that help the YouTube app take advantage of the Kinect being bundled with every console:

Voice – Control the app just by saying “YouTube” wherever you are in the app. Commands like play, pause, and fast forward will instantly pop up on screen.

Gesture – Grab the screen to scroll through videos, and use your hand to pick which one you want to watch.

Here’s what the gesture controls on YouTube for Xbox One look like:

There’s no word yet on whether or not Google will bring a YouTube app to the PS4 anytime in the near future, or if this is a timed exclusive for the Xbox One. If it’s the latter, it would be similar to how the Xbox 360 got a YouTube app long before it ever showed up on the PS3. Either way, we’ve reached out to YouTube for comment and will update should we hear back.

Update: A YouTube spokesperson provided the following statement regarding a PS4 version of the YouTube app:

We’re always working on new and better ways for people to enjoy YouTube content across all screens, and on giving partners more opportunities to reach their fans. However, we have nothing to announce at this time.

[Image: YouTube Blog]