Twitch is testing channel surfing

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

I remember the good old days of channel surfing when I was a child. The experiment allows you to easily flip through previews of different streams to find something to watch. You won't see ads when you use it.

It's possible to get an idea of how it works on the twitch platform.

It can be hard to find something new to watch if you don't know what you want to watch. My rundown is to check the homepage, scans the sidebar of people I follow, click into an individual game or category to view who is live, or navigate directly to a streamer's account.

If I want to move on from a stream I am already watching, my best option is to click another followed account or recommend on the sidebar. I often run into choice paralysis when I choose that last option.

Channel switcher will make it easier to check out different streamers. You will be able to watch a 60-second preview of a stream before having to make a decision.

Only a few people will be able to try Channel switcher. Williams says that only a small percentage of users are currently granted access. The experiment will be turned off in July in order for the company to analyze the results.

A new tool that makes it easier for streamers to add guests to their stream called Guest Star and the ability to create your own tags are some of the new features announced on Thursday.