X has introduced a new immersive video player, signaling its continued emphasis on video-focused experiences.
Nikita Bier, X's head of product, announced the update, acknowledging that the previous video player required a refresh. The redesign aims to improve video consumption, particularly on mobile devices.
New Player Features and Mobile Focus
Currently rolling out to iOS, the update allows users to expand videos to full screen with a single tap. Once in full-screen mode, viewers can swipe up to navigate to the next video, a format similar to TikTok.
Users can now expand videos to full screen with a single tap and swipe up to move to the next video, echoing the TikTok experience.
Addressing Aspect Ratio Concerns
Some users have reported that the update forces videos into a cropped, full-screen view, eliminating the option to view content in its original aspect ratio. Bier confirmed that portrait orientation is ideal and stated that X will discontinue cropping vertical content.
X's Broader Video Ambitions
More video-focused updates are anticipated as X expands its video ambitions. This introduction follows X's global launch of a dedicated vertical video feed last year and the integration of AI-driven tools, including Grok's text-to-video generation.
Grok's Image Generation Controversy
Notably, Grok's image-generation feature recently sparked controversy, leading to its restriction to paying subscribers on X, due to the tool's capacity to create inappropriate images.