Twitch has launched a new Power-ups feature for chat, and streamers are already asking for a way to disable it.
Revealed on June 12, 2024, Twitch’s new Power-ups feature allows chatters to use bits to enhance their chat messages. You can make emotes larger, trigger a celebration on-stream, and even add effects to your messages to make them stand out from the rest.
Using bits for these features means that each streamer will receive a small amount of money from each power-up used, but it hasn’t been very well-received.
Shortly after the feature’s reveal, streamers across the platform have taken to social media and Twitch’s own user voice website to share their distaste for Power-ups and ask for a way to turn it off on their channel.
Power-ups are now available to all Affiliates and Partners across the globe! Viewers can now use Bits to unlock Message Effects, On-screen Celebration, and Gigantify an Emote on their favorite streams!More Info 🧵⬇️ pic.twitter.com/iTN3fMVr83
— Twitch (@Twitch) June 13, 2024
A post made on UserVoice shortly after the features reveal has 1,274 votes at the time of writing and is flooded with comments from people wanting to be able to toggle Power-ups on and off.
“Good idea, terrible implementation. Give us a toggle,” one user replied.
Another said, “As others have explained, it’s a nightmare as a mod. You either have to set the price so high it’ll dissuade most people, or 4-5 people can completely take over a chat with this garbage.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Many others shared their thoughts on Twitter/X, too, including record-breaking Twitch streamer Pirate Software.
“Any time a feature launches that modifies the broadcast experience it needs to come with a toggle to enable or disable it. Larger streams are unwatchable unless the streamer edits these to be super expensive or have a long cooldown. Having no toggle on this is wild,” he said.
Any time a feature launches that modifies the broadcast experience it needs to come with a toggle to enable or disable it. Larger streams are unwatchable unless the streamer edits these to be super expensive or have a long cooldown.Having no toggle on this is wild.
— Pirate Software (@PirateSoftware) June 14, 2024
“Give me an option to disable this eyesore in my channel points. How dare you force things on my channel that I do not want,” another streamer asked.
Twitch has yet to respond to the backlash around the new features, but we’ll be sure to update this article if they do.
The launch of Power-Ups on Twitch is just the latest change so far in 2024. Twitch launched a new DJ-focused partnership with major music labels on June 6 and announced an increase to sub prices in the US and many other countries just two days before.