Twitch, the platform for video game live streamers and personalities, has become an integral part of my online entertainment, joining sites like Netflix, YouTube, and HBO. Just last weekend, I joined in with 70,000+ other viewers to watch Grand Finals of Super Smash Bros. Melee at Royal Flush as I streamed the tournament from my browser.
For future Twitch viewing, though, I’ll be watching in Mitch, a lightweight client for macOS that offers small but appreciated benefits over the website.
Frequent Twitch users will feel right at home in Mitch, as much of its design is akin to the web version of Twitch. To find something to watch, you can browse through popular games and channels, check out who you’re following, or tune in to any of your favorite live channels. Along the left side is a list of the channels you follow that are live, so you can quickly jump in the stream and watch the game. When you log in with your Twitch account, you’ll get access to chat, which is as capable as the chat option on Twitch.tv.
But Mitch becomes worth its $2.99 price tag when you’re actually watching a stream. Instead of locking you in to only a few different ways to watch and participate, Mitch offers flexibility in screen sizes, chat options, and window placement. For example, if you want the stream to float on top of your other windows, you can click on the “window” button next to the fullscreen option. Or maybe you want the chat-filled experience that the default viewer or fullscreen can offer; however you want to watch, Mitch can help.
With AirPlay capabilities and video quality selection also packed in, Mitch becomes a must-have for Twitch users on the Mac. Although Mitch, at the time of writing lacks the ability to subscribe to a channel, overall it’s still a better option than the Twitch site.
If you’d like to check out Mitch, you can pick it up in the Mac App Store here.