For real-time gameplay streams (whether it's an e-sports competition or gameplay demo), Twitch should be your destination of choice. The streaming video service is available on several platforms including mobile (the iPhone app is reviewed here), home video game console (PlayStation 4, Xbox One), and desktop. Twitch for iPhone (free) lets video game voyeurs tune in the service's many live streams, but it lacks most of the other functionality present in the desktop and console apps.

Getting Started With Twitch

Twitch for iPhone has the same functionality as its Twitch for Android counterpart, but the slick iOS 7 design gives it a different feel. Twitch for iPhone has a simple, panel-driven interface that's more attractive than the Android version's rather uninspired design. Relatively large video game box art is front and center, as opposed to the Android app's thumbnail images. There are three layout options available—Grid, List, and Grid + List—from which you can choose a preferred interface.

Swiping from left to right reveals a list of promoted games and user channels. These represent Twitch's most popular games streams. Unfortunately, certain games such as Dota 2 and League of Legends are so popular that they're constantly highlighted, which creates an element of sameness to a section that should be about content discovery. Twitch could greatly benefit from human curation that would also highlight under-the-radar gems that are worth a look.