YouTube confirms experiment where watching in 4k is a paid option

Various YouTube users have shared screenshots, which indicate that the 4k display requires a subscription. Until now, watching videos in 4k did not require a subscription. YouTube confirms that it is an experiment.

In the screenshots in question, the option to switch to 4k reads ‘Premium – tap to upgrade’. This concerns the YouTube Premium subscription, which costs 12 euros per month in the Benelux and, among other things, removes the advertisements from videos. The first post on reddit is from September 4, after that there was still one on September 8 and on September 20. The message seems to be with a limited number of users.

According to YouTube This is an experiment in which YouTube tries to find out the preferences of subscribers and non-subscribers. YouTube Premium has around 50 million subscribers worldwide, according to the company.

YouTube Premium needed for 4k. Screenshot: MCL_Malone on Reddit