Online entertainment platforms continue to expand in number and the range of services and content they offer. Many of us have Netflix and Prime Video, for example, enabling many thousands of hours of viewing. Similarly, Spotify is the most popular music streaming service, but there has been a rise in game streaming and messaging-style platforms.
Discord
Strictly speaking, Discord is a messaging and communication app, but it has become much more. It has its own directory of apps including quizzes, games, social media, and Dis casino apps. Casino apps enable users to play virtually any casino game, deposit and withdraw money, and perform other typical online casino actions. What’s more, players can communicate in real time with other fellow iGamers to compare their experiences or even resolve potential issues.
Telegram
Telegram is another chat app that has evolved to become more of a super app. It is especially popular for creating group chats and individual groups can be created with thousands of members, and channels can broadcast to an unlimited number of people. Like Discord, Telegram can also be customized to include apps and other features.
Spotify
Spotify launched in 2008 and, with just over a 30% share of the market, it is the dominant force in the music streaming industry. Even if you can’t be with your friends, you can enjoy the same music by using Spotify’s Jam feature. Premium members can start Jams and invite others, who can queue and listen to the same music at the same time.
Apple Music
Apple Music is the second largest music streaming service, thanks to its integration with Apple devices. It has a similar feature to Spotify’s Jam, called SharePlay that can also include FaceTime, so you can set up an entire virtual party, especially on winter nights when it’s just too cold to head out and meet up.
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s game streaming network. As well as being available on Xbox consoles, it can be used on PC and even mobile devices. Once users have paid for a subscription, they can access libraries of hundreds of games across different platforms and even enjoy cloud gaming.
Steam
Game Pass does offer a decent library of PC games, but Steam is the go-to platform for PC gamers. Thousands of games are released on Steam every year, and the library currently includes around 75,000 titles. Unlike Game Pass, though, it isn’t subscription-based, so you do need to pay for titles individually.
Disney+
Netflix and Prime Video are the go-to streaming services for TV shows and movies, but they don’t have everything. Disney+ has an extensive library of its classic movie collections, which are especially ideal for Christmas viewing. And, the service now has the rights to Star Wars and Marvel, there’s a diverse collection of content.
Paramount+
Paramount has long been known for its comedy show series but, like Disney, it has expanded over the years and Paramount+ now has shows like the Halo TV adaptation as well as a huge Star Trek collection. For younger audiences, there’s also Nickelodeon with its excellent catalog of kids’ shows.
