Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), is testing the platform’s live streaming capabilities, marking a step toward transforming X into an “everything app.” On January 7, 2025, Musk live-streamed himself playing a video game for 1 hour and 38 minutes.
The stream, which attracted millions of viewers, showcased X’s potential as a live streaming platform. Musk engaged with viewers, sparking discussions and humorous interactions in the comment section.
Highlights of Musk’s Live Stream
Musk’s broadcast demonstrated X’s seamless interactive features. Some notable comments included:
- @BullMerchantt: Suggested Musk adopt the username “Percy Verence.”
- @fanofaliens: Asked, “When will you play Detroit Become Human?”
- @PreranaBorah: Praised Musk’s gaming skills, saying, “How do you do it without missing a target?”
- @ResonantSponge: Joked about a potential Musk-Trump gaming stream.
The humorous and interactive nature of the stream hinted at the platform’s capability to host engaging, real-time events.
X’s Strategy to Compete
X’s move into live streaming positions it as a potential rival to giants like Amazon’s Twitch and Google’s YouTube. With features that merge text, video posts, and now live streaming, Musk’s vision for X reflects a comprehensive platform that offers:
- Real-time user interaction.
- Live gaming broadcasts.
- Seamless video and audio quality (with some refinements).
Musk’s Vision for X
Musk aims to transform X into a platform combining elements of YouTube, LinkedIn, FaceTime, and even banking. In 2023, he described this transformation as “rapidly evolving from Twitter 1.0 to the everything app.”
This move builds on previous experiments, including:
- October 2023 Stream: Musk streamed Diablo IV under the alias @cyb3rgam3r420. Despite technical glitches, the stream garnered 20,000 views.
- January 2025 Stream: Musk’s recent stream demonstrated significant improvements, drawing millions of viewers and showcasing X’s growth in live streaming.
Challenges and Opportunities
While X’s live streaming feature shows promise, some technical issues remain. Users previously reported problems like flickering and high-pitched audio during streams. Musk has acknowledged these challenges and promised improvements.
The platform’s future success depends on addressing these concerns and providing creators with competitive features that rival existing platforms.
A Step Toward the “Everything App”
X’s foray signifies a bold move to diversify its offerings and compete with established platforms. Musk’s interactive gaming streams highlight the platform’s potential and reaffirm his vision of X as more than just a social media platform—it’s becoming a hub for live engagement, gaming, and beyond.
