Mixer is bringing its signature FTL streaming to its mobile apps

A big part of what makes Microsoft's game streaming service, Mixer, attractive to both streamers and viewers alike is its low-latency streaming option. Dubbed by the Mixer team as Faster-Than-Light (FTL), the option allows broadcasters to communicate with viewer nearly in real-time, rather than behind the usual long delay. That's a particularly important feature to have when it comes to interactivity, another area on which Mixer focuses.

The only problem with FTL so far has been that it was previously not available as an option while on the go. For viewers, Mixer is addressing that pain point today by enabling FTL in beta in its mobile apps on Android and iOS. Anyone using the Mixer beta apps will now be able to enable FTL streaming by tapping the new rocker ship icon in the top right corner of a stream.

If you've used FTL streaming on desktop, you'll be familiar with how convenient it is to interact in real time with whatever streamer you're watching. That goes double if you participate in streams with the interactivity features built into Mixer, even if it's just to throw a ridiculous GIF up on the stream. However, as games start to implement the Mixer API to enable interactions that can impact gameplay, particularly as Mixer deepens its integration on Xbox One, mobile FTL will prove to be a boon for Xbox gamers watching on the go on their Android and iOS devices.

It's worth reiterating that FTL is currently only available in the mobile viewer apps in beta, so there are bound to be bugs. If you have an Android device you can sign up on Google Play to participate in the beta. For iOS users, the number of beta spots is much more limited by virtue of how betas work on Apple devices, so you'll have to sign up for an invitation.