News

Gamer chat app Discord guns for Skype by adding video chat and screen-sharing

Won't be ready for at least a month, but testing begins now

Gamer chat app Discord guns for Skype by adding video chat and screen-sharing

Mobile and PC chat app Discord is adding video chat and screen-sharing to its range of services over the coming months.

Video chat will allow up to 10 people to enter a video call with each other at the same time. It is hoped that this will foster better connections between users of Discord.

Screen-sharing is much like video calling, except that up to ten people can see the screen being shared. This will allow users to see a game from the player's perspective and offer advice on their next move.

On the level

Both features have been heavily requested by the community. Adding them means that Discord is now on par with numerous other chat apps in terms of call features, including Skype and Facebook Messenger.

The new additions will be available to a chosen 5% of users from today, though users who are friends with the testers can access the features if they are invited into a call. The rest of the community will be given access a month or so down the line.

Discord is one the fastest-growing chat apps around, having hit 45 million users in May 2017. The company is also reportedly valued at $725 million following a $50 million funding round in January 2017.


Editor

Ric is the Editor of PocketGamer.biz, having started out as a Staff Writer on the site back in 2015. He received an honourable mention in both the MCV and Develop 30 Under 30 lists in 2016 and refuses to let anyone forget about it.