The New Crunchyroll Beta Offers Some Great Changes to Anime Fans
Crunchyroll is probably the first name anime fans think of when it comes to viewing their favorite shows. The new Crunchyroll beta rolling out this week is making some really great updates to the web platform. If you view anime via Crunchyroll.com, then there’s a chance you might see an offer to check out the beta. I think the new updates address a few of the frustrations I had with the Crunchyroll Classic lineup. Most notably, the search capability improvements in the beta really help viewers navigate the growing library of shows on the platform. For someone who loves recommending anime to friends and organizing my anime interests, the new Crunchylists feature is wonderful as well. Here are all the cool changes and updates you’ll find in the new beta.
New Crunchyroll Beta Features and Changes
Image Credit: Crunchryoll
Between adding historic titles like Mobile Suit Gundam as well as their lineup of simulcasts and Originals, Crunchyroll is on a tear lately. The new Crunchyroll beta is another sign that the world’s leading anime brand is only getting better. In the beta, a number of great features make the user experience on the web a lot more navigatable. Firstly, personalized recommendations are a lot more prominent in your homepage. The new approach to recommendations also takes into account your watch history and watchlist for more precise predictions to what you might like.
In the improved search bar, finding your favorite shows and exploring genres is more intuitive as well. The improvements don’t mean the end of curated collections either. Crunchyroll’s anime experts still theme lists to different trends and topics in anime. The addition of an improved search bar and more personalized recommendations just add to the browsing experience. Like Netflix, Crunchyroll can be a bit daunting to navigate when you’re trying to find a new show. The updates in the beta are definitely improving on what was already a good experience.
Usernames and avatar image changes are present in the beta as well, but the real highlight here for me are Crunchylists. The new feature allows you to create your own curated collections with a unique title and list of series that fit that theme. You can make a Crunchylist based on a mood, your favorites, or shows you feel like people “Need to Watch” as I did above. I only added three for image purposes, but the feature allows for up to 100 titles to be featured in a single list. Consider my list your reminder to watch Fruits Basket.
How to Get Access to the Beta
Image Credit: Crunchryoll
The new Crunchyroll beta is available to a select number of eligible users. Firstly, you’ll need to be a Crunchyroll Premium subscriber. If you’re not in a paid tier yet, then you can give the three memberships a look. There are plenty of benefits that make the subscription fee well worth the cost. The beta is showing up for around 20% of users as of now. If you’re not seeing a header image that offers the beta, then you’re likely going to need to wait a bit longer. For fans who try the beta and want to return to the classic view for whatever reason, you can do so even after you check out the beta.
Crunchyroll would also love feedback on the beta if you have access. Be sure to “Leave Feedback” under your profile header. Overall, I’m happy with the Crunchylists function and overall search improvements. The Crunchyroll library is sort of a blessing and a curse. Discovering new shows is tough with thousand of titles but the beta’s new search capabilities make it a lot easier.
Featured Image Credit: Crunchyroll
Taylor is the Gaming Editor of Comic Years and a lifelong fan of video games. He holds two degrees in Political Communication and wrote a Master's Thesis on resistance movements, race, and the exploitation of college athletes. His wife and two Toy Australian Sheppards keep him sane.
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