Upgraded 1080p on YouTube Is Available to Premium Users

According to spokesperson Paul Pennington, all Premium users worldwide can now access YouTube in 1080p on desktop. 

Following an earlier test, the company debuted the "enhanced bitrate" 1080p in April on iOS.

One customer stated, "I don't pay for Premium, but on Friday while browsing YouTube in Chrome on my MacBook Air, I've seen the enhanced bitrate option on a handful of videos." 

"I'm prompted to sign up for YouTube Premium when I attempt to use the improved bitrate." 

(You should be aware that the service is now slightly more expensive if you choose to subscribe to Premium in order to get the improved bitrate.)

YouTube’s ‘enhanced’ 1080p for Premium subscribers

Don't worry, though!

Non-Premium subscribers still get access to the 1080p without enhancements. 

However, if you can utilize the increased bitrate, it will make things "look extra crisp and clear, especially for videos with lots of detail and motion," according to a blog post from YouTube in April.

As stated by Pennington, YouTube is also introducing the upgraded 1080p for Premium users on living room-oriented gadgets like Chromecasts and gaming consoles. According to Pennington, the feature is not yet accessible on Android.

Still, 9to5Google notes that at least one user reported seeing it in June.

Read more: This Feature Will Let You Enhance Low-Quality Videos In Edge