To watch YouTube videos, make sure you have the most up-to-date browser, operating system, and a good internet connection:
- Newest version of Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
- Internet connection with 500+ Kbps
Movies and TV shows requirements
Some premium videos on YouTube—like movies, TV shows, and live streams—require a faster connection and greater processing power for optimal streaming speeds. Here's what you need:
- Newest version of Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
- Operating system: Windows 7+, Mac OS X 10.7+, or Ubuntu 10+
- Internet connection with 1+ Mbps
It can help to close other tabs, browsers, and programs while streaming your video. It may also help to hardwire your internet connection, instead of using a wireless network connection.
The table below shows the approximate speeds recommended for playing each video format.
| Video Resolution |
Recommended sustained speed |
|---|---|
| 4K UHD | 20 Mbps |
| HD 1080p | 5 Mbps |
| HD 720p | 2.5 Mbps |
| SD 480p | 1.1 Mbps |
| SD 360p | 0.7 Mbps |
- Playback in HD is unavailable for streaming on a browser, except for Safari for HD streaming only. You can also stream in HD using one of the supported devices listed here .
- Sometimes, you can buy or rent the HD/UHD version of a video on a device or browser that doesn't support HD/UHD playback. You can still watch the title in lower quality on that device, or watch HD/UHD from a different compatible device.
Supported devices for Primetime Channels (US, Germany, France, Australia & UK only)
If you’re in the United States, Germany, France, Australia, or the United Kingdom, you can watch YouTube Primetime Channels on the following devices:
If you have internet speeds greater than 1 Mbps, you can watch YouTube on:
Operating systems:
- Windows 7+
- Mac OS X 10.7+
- Ubuntu 10+
Browsers (latest versions):
- Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Safari
- PlayStation 5
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 4 Pro
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox One X
- Xbox One S
- Xbox One
- Nest Hub Max
- Nest Hub
- Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen)
- Fire TV Stick Lite
- Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen)
- Fire TV Stick 4K
- Fire TV Cube
- Fire TV Cube (1st Gen)
You can watch but not purchase YouTube Primetime Channels on any of the following devices:
- Apple TV
- Xbox
- Select Panasonic TVs
