Amazon expands Prime Video’s Watch Get together characteristic to Roku, sensible TVs, and extra

It simply acquired manner simpler and extra handy to remotely watch Amazon Prime Video’s TV exhibits and flicks along with your mates. The service’s “Watch Get together” characteristic has obtained a a lot wanted enlargement from the restricted use circumstances the place it labored earlier than — on Hearth TV gadgets, desktop net browsers, and the Prime Video cell app — and it now helps non-Amazon streaming gadgets, sensible TVs, and Xbox / PlayStation gaming consoles. TechCrunch first reported on the enlargement.

Watch Get together permits for as much as 100 individuals with a Prime subscription to view content material on the identical time. The host is ready to play, pause, skip, and quick ahead or rewind for the group, and everybody can chat about what they’re watching.

For now, Amazon’s Watch Get together characteristic stays accessible solely within the US. “An error message is displayed in case you are utilizing a VPN,” Amazon notes in its FAQ. Everybody shares entry to content material that’s free to stream with a Prime subscription. However if you wish to watch a film that may solely be rented, everybody should accomplish that individually. Watch Get together isn’t suitable with reside occasions (like Thursday Night time Soccer), Amazon Prime Video Channels, or Freevee (previously often known as IMDBtv).

Whereas many of those group viewing experiences popped up amid COVID-19 lockdowns, Amazon started testing Watch Get together in 2019 by way of its Twitch service. Hulu provides the same characteristic by the identical title, Disney Plus provides GroupWatch, and streaming TV apps like Sling TV have additionally joined in.