The new, high-quality 1080p option for YouTube is now available to all Premium subscribers on desktop globally. The “enhanced bitrate” 1080p was launched in April on iOS after an earlier test.
If a non-Premium user tries to select the enhanced bitrate, YouTube will prompt them to subscribe to Premium. The non-enhanced version is still available for non-Premium users though. The new enhanced version makes things “look extra crisp and clear, especially for videos with lots of detail and motion.”
The enhanced bitrate will also roll out on YouTube on devices such as Chromecast and video game consoles. The feature is yet to become available for Android.
