Twitch Launches Dual Format Feature, Enabling Simultaneous Horizontal and Vertical Live Streams

During the TwitchCon Rotterdam 2026 event, Twitch officially announced a series of major updates set to arrive on their platform. One of the primary introductions is the Dual Format feature, which allows content creators to broadcast in both horizontal and vertical formats simultaneously.

According to an official blog post, Twitch detailed how this feature aims to provide a more optimised viewing experience. Mobile viewers will see a full-screen vertical display optimised for mobile devices, while desktop viewers will see the classic horizontal format. This flexibility also benefits mobile users, as the vertical layout allows them to switch to the classic separate view; rotating the phone from either view will return the user to a full-screen horizontal display.

The Dual Format feature utilises Enhanced Broadcasting technology, which employs a client-side system to encode multiple broadcast variants for viewers.

In addition to Dual Format, Twitch is expanding broadcasting capabilities by introducing 2K or 1440p resolution for all Partners and Affiliates starting next month. This improvement in visual quality will be supported by higher bitrate limits, reaching up to 9 Mbps for 1440p resolution and 7.5 Mbps for 1080p.

For viewers who join live streams late, Twitch is introducing Stream Summaries. This feature will generate a brief synopsis of what has occurred during the broadcast so far, allowing viewers to catch up on topics without confusion.

The addition of GIFs in chat has also been introduced as an exclusive benefit for Tier 2 and Tier 3 subscribers. Significant changes have also been made to short video clip features to facilitate easier creator promotion via Twitch Stories.

Furthermore, Twitch introduced Auto Clips, a feature that automatically generates text-based clips from key moments in a broadcast. Both viewers and creators will also benefit from automatic captioning for community clips and a list of the best clips within the stream summaries.

To boost creator revenue, Twitch has launched updates including Creator Badge Drops, Mythic Trains, Creator Sponsors, and the expansion of the Bounty Board campaign to the Affiliate level through the Open Invite programme.