Critical Role’s Beacon App Adds Smart TV Support and Offline Downloads

It has been just over two years since Critical Role launched Beacon, known as Pocket Beacon on iOS and Android devices. The streaming service serves as the direct home for Critical Role productions, offering members early access to main campaigns, miniseries, one-shots, and talk shows. Subscribers also receive ad-free on-demand archives, an exclusive newsletter, and bonus programming. While audiences can still find shows on third-party platforms like YouTube, Beacon remains the primary destination for early releases.

Two major limitations previously hindered the service. Subscribers could not stream Beacon directly through smart TVs, nor could they download episodes to watch offline.

A new trailer from Critical Role confirms that both features are now available. Viewers can install Beacon on smart TV platforms, including Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV, and Roku. Writing on the official Critical Role blog, Derek Wheeler explained that the team plans to expand to additional devices as they learn “what smart TV features you need the most.”

Members can also download episodes to iOS and Android devices for offline viewing. Users tap the download button on any video and locate their saved files inside the app menu. Because Critical Role episodes run for several hours, the company advises users to keep the mobile app open during downloads to prevent the process from stopping prematurely.

These updates follow the February appointment of Alyssa Zeisler as general manager, who joined the company with a mandate to focus on audience needs. With ongoing plans to expand Beacon, additional features may arrive in future updates.

Source: Polygon