Photo sharing app company Snap is expected to launch an in-app gaming platform later this year, The Information reported.

The platform would allow outside developers to create games which would then be played inside the Snapchat app. Sources told the news outlet at least one game publisher already signed on to create a title for the platform.

Details of the plan follow Snap’s introduction of augmented realty filters that allow users to play games with friends in April.

In the wake of a redesign which sparked a backlash among users, Snap stumbled in Q1, registering a larger net loss than the comparable period in 2017 and sluggish sequential user growth. The company’s push into gaming could provide it with an avenue to revive growth, providing additional features to draw in new users and differentiate itself from other photo apps including Instagram.

Tencent, which owns a 12 per cent stake in Snap, added a game centre into its WeChat app in 2013. The company reaped rewards from the move in the form of substantial revenue from in-game purchases.

Facebook also stepped up its focus on gaming in recent months: it added a host of new features and titles to the Instant Games platform on its Messenger app in December 2017.