Microsoft is undoubtedly late to the party in bringing YouTube to Xbox Live. PlayStation 3 gamers have had it for a while, so it's great to finally see it as part of the new Xbox 360 dashboard.
The YouTube app for Xbox 360 comes with a number of different tabs, breaking up your favourite videos and featured videos into accessible and clean sections.
The Featured tab brings up the most recent Featured videos on YouTube, while "Discover" gives you access to each individually blocked group of videos.
The 'My YouTube' section features videos based on what you've watched and liked in the past with the same account. It recommends video it thinks you'll enjoy based on your previous viewing experience, adding an accessible and noticeable element of personalisation to the experience.
Everything is accessible in this panel: from your subscriptions to your own uploads, to your 'watch later' videos and playlists.
Unfortunately, while the layout is great, the navigation isn't quite as fast or enjoyable as the typical YouTube experience on your laptop or iPad. Loading subscriptions takes time -- a long time -- and it also doesn't showcase the newest videos of your subscribed channels.
Clicking on different channels also takes a while to load, which certainly affects the viewing experience.
The Final Verdict
While certainly not perfect, the YouTube app for Xbox Live is clean and accessible if a little slow and dry. It gives you most of the options of YouTube -- except of course uploading videos -- helping to turn your console it an online television station.
By Gaetano Prestia
What do you think of the YouTube addition to Xbox Live?