YouTube's 60fps Video Playback Goes Mobile

Heads up, YouTube users: The Google-owned video service on Tuesday announced that you can now watch videos at a smooth 60 frames per second on its mobile apps.

"HFR FTW! High frame rate playback is available on the YouTube app for both Android and iOS," according to a post on the YouTube Creators Google+ page. This brings the mobile apps in line with YouTube on the desktop, Apple TV, PlayStation 3, and PS4.

The move comes after YouTube in June 2014 first announced plans to begin supporting 60 frames-per-second videos. Initially, just a handful of game trailers were available at the full 60 frames per second, but the feature began rolling out more broadly that fall.

In May, YouTube extended support for 60fps to livestreams as well, bringing it up to speed with Twitch. Before that, YouTube's live streams were only able to run at 30fps.

At this point, however, the new 60fps support on iOS and Android is just for videos, not livestreams, according to VentureBeat. You'll also need the official YouTube apps to take advantage of the higher frame rate playback, as it's not available via YouTube on a mobile browser or third-party apps (such as the one for Windows Phone).

To see the silky smooth video for yourself, check out the video below on your iOS or Android device. Just be sure to change the quality to either 720p60 or 1080p60.

Meanwhile, YouTube last month announced plans to launch a new gaming-focused site, which will rival Twitch. YouTube Gaming, slated to arrive this summer on mobile apps and the Web, will exist as a separate entity from YouTube so searches for "call" will bring up Call of Duty, not Call Me Maybe.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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