Ever had an interest in streaming your PC gameplay live, but don’t know where to start? We’re here to help. Live streaming has exploded in the last few years, and while not everyone can expect to become the next Ninja, Dr. Lupo, or Shroud, it’s a fun hobby that can be rewarding on its own. And, if you work at it, you may just find an audience.
Whether you want to stream gameplay just to friends, or to try your hand at building a community of your own, this guide will outline everything you need to get started and, hopefully, succeed. (We can’t make you a better shot, or wittier, though. That’s on you.)
First Off, What Is Game Streaming?
If you’re reading this, you probably understand what streaming is, or at least the basic idea. In case you’re coming in blind, though, here’s the short version.
In recent years, many thousands of people have taken to broadcasting their video-game gameplay live for millions of online viewers. Only a handful of streamers find huge regular audiences, with many more of them populating a middle tier with modest audiences, and an even greater number scrapping it out to build small communities. You can do this on a PC, or with one of the modern gaming consoles. The more streamlined, plug-and-play nature of the latter, however, means this guide will focus on PC-based streaming.
You have many options for where and how to stream, which I’ll be breaking down below. In terms of the tools and services, you’ve likely heard of Twitch, the largest such service, but you have some other alternatives for broadcasting, though a combination of other software and hardware is required. To stream PC games, the key things you need in addition to a Twitch (or other streaming service) account: a good gaming computer, some accessories, and certain software.
We’ll break that all down, but first you’ll want to take a hard look at what you’re trying to achieve by streaming. Fun and profit? Just fun? That will dictate what you really need.
How to Set a Realistic Goal for Your Streaming
I can think of a host of reasons you might want to stream yourself playing video games. At its core, it’s fun to do, and the appeal of an audience watching you play games is enough to motivate many people to try. You may want to do it purely for fun, and for yourself—and if you happen to get consistent viewers, great! If that’s you, you’ll probably lean toward the more casual suggestions in this guide.
Others want to create a community, even if it’s small, of dedicated viewers. And still others hope to make a profit from streaming via advertisements, partnerships, or viewer donations (or some combination of those). In an ideal world, your streaming could even be your full-time job.
This is a difficult dream to chase, however, and it’s important to set realistic expectations. There are a lot of streamers out there, and it’s hard work to differentiate yourself from the pack. Don’t go quitting your day job or dropping out of school without months of proven financial stability stemming from streaming (or a trust fund to fall back on).
With everyone vying for viewers, it helps to have a “hook” or a special talent. You may be able to make it as just your average streamer playing your preferred games, but your odds of standing out aren’t high. Some way of marketing yourself is key.
Sometimes that depends on the game genre. If you’re especially skilled at first-person shooters, for example, that’s a start; people tend to seek out elite-level gameplay for that kind of game. Or maybe you’re a really entertaining live “Hey, let’s play!” kind of streamer, or good at building community and chatting up your followers. Or maybe you’re very funny. Ideally, you’re some combination of these, but the point is, not everyone who succeeds as a streamer is exceptionally skilled at games. (But it helps.)
Whatever your angle, consistency is key. Viewers need to be able to see you often, and come back to you on a somewhat regular schedule if they like you. You can’t be discouraged by low viewer numbers right away, either, as the odds are stacked against you. With some determination, though, and the tools below, you may carve out a niche for yourself, and beyond that…who knows?
How to Choose the Right Game-Streaming PC
The biggest hurdle to streaming efficiently is having the right hardware, so that’s where we’ll start. Streaming services and software have come a long way in ease of use, often at no cost, but there’s no getting around the fact that you’ll likely need to buy a few physical items to make your streams come to life. The single largest obstacle, and item, is a powerful enough PC. There’s a lot that goes into a computer that makes it fit for streaming, so this requires the most in-depth explanation.
This system will probably serve double duty as your gaming and streaming machine (more on that issue later), so it needs to be fast. If you’re planning on streaming PC gameplay, it should be obvious that your computer will need to be up to the task of playing modern games as a minimum baseline. This is the most expensive item you’ll need for streaming, and there are a lot of factors that go into a decision.
Generally speaking, your ideal desktop for streaming can run games on high, if not maximum, settings at your chosen screen resolution. You want your streams to look as good as possible, and if you want to show off the latest AAA releases, flashy graphics go a long way in entertaining viewers. You don’t need to break the bank if you can’t afford it, though. Moderate gaming rigs will run games moderately well, and if that’s your budget, that’s okay.
Most streamers play at full HD (1,920 by 1,080 resolution, or 1080p), and I would highly recommend you follow suit. It’s much less taxing on your computer to play at 1080p, which is essential since it also may have to bear the burden of processing and pushing your game streams. Also, you’ll get much higher frame rates in-game than you would at 1440p or 4K, which means smoother appearances.
Note that your onscreen gaming resolution can be different than the resolution your stream is set to. It’s very demanding on both the PC and your internet connection to stream in full HD or higher, so you’ll find that many streamers opt for 720p or 900p; even some of the biggest names do. The most popular streamers out there can afford to invest in a PC and an internet connection that can pull off a super-sharp stream, but don’t feel like you’re the only one who may have to make a compromise.
If you’re the type to stream competitive multiplayer games (titles like Apex Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, or League of Legends), visual fidelity matters a bit less, but performance and high frame rates are vital. You need to be able to play smoothly, as it will give you an advantage, which is especially important if you’re advertising yourself as a skill-based streamer. Playing at 1080p and taking advantage of those higher frame rates is even more important for these types of gamers.
If this is you, pairing your setup with a high-refresh-rate gaming monitor is a smart move. In fact, many competitive streamers (even those with powerful PCs) play on low visual settings to improve frame rates, since it means a competitive edge for them. Still, even if you play on low settings, you need a high-end computer to take advantage of a high-refresh-rate screen. The video card in the PC is key.
The Best Graphics Card for Game Streaming: GeForce RTX and More
To accomplish the above, you need the right core parts. Encoding and broadcasting your gameplay to Twitch or another site is a strenuous task for any processor (also referred to here as the CPU) and graphics card (GPU), especially because your computer is already using resources to power the game itself. Rather than run you through every component option here for either building your own desktop or buying a prebuilt PC, I’ll point you to our deep guide for gaming desktops, which already provides this info in full. There’s plenty to consider, and it would take a lot to run it all down here. In the guide, you’ll find buying advice on each component, as well as our list of best current prebuilt machines, so read it over if you’re not current on PC parts.
Still, giving you some advice here for the two key components (CPU and GPU) is important, because there are special considerations for streamers. The GPU will power the graphics in your games and help encode and broadcast your stream, so some respectable level of power is essential for game streaming. As a starting point, I’d recommend an Nvidia graphics card. AMD has made strong gains in the desktop-processor race, but Nvidia’s GPUs are still at the top of the heap, especially for demanding tasks like gaming at high refresh rates. Also, the GPU correlates strongly to your resolution choice explained above. The higher you go in resolution, the more bound to your GPU’s power it is, as opposed to your processor.
I’d start no lower than the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti for this, an older but still capable and relatively affordable option. Lesser cards will, well, be less capable of even running games at smooth frame rates at 1080p, let alone providing a good streaming experience. The real power for gamer streamers lies in Nvidia’s GeForce RTX series, not only because they pack more firepower for gaming, but because they also include specialized hardware encoders for improved streaming, and optimization for the very popular Open Broadcaster Software (OBS, more about which later).
Currently, the core RTX GPUs are the GeForce RTX 3060, the GeForce RTX 3070, and the GeForce RTX 3080. The latter will offer top-notch gaming performance at all resolutions and handle streaming well, while there are also now amped-up RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti options. Of course, these cards (particularly the RTX 3070 and RTX 3080) have been notoriously difficult to acquire for the past six months or more, due in part to pandemic-related supply issues, and to their popularity for use in mining cryptocurrency. Because of that, a lesser GPU, or even the older GeForce RTX 20-Series, may be your most realistic bet if buying from scratch.
Indeed, video-card prices have gone so wild on the secondary market here in 2021, and in-stock RTX cards at list price are so infrequently available, that you will have to be very persistent to snag one without paying a large premium over MSRP. You may be able to more easily acquire one of these in-demand GPUs if you buy a pre-built desktop PC, since system manufacturers have a more direct supply line.
The GeForce RTX 2060 or 3060 is a solid entry point into the RTX series and is fully capable of full HD gaming. If you’re playing on a high-refresh monitor, the RTX 2070, RTX 3070, and up are recommended, and if you’re looking to play at a higher resolution, go for the RTX 2080, RTX 3080, or better. These are the only GPUs capable of advanced ray-tracing technology, a fancy in-game lighting feature, but they will also allow you to raise the overall visual quality and push higher frame rates.
The Best CPU for Game Streaming: Why the Processor Is Key, Too
While your graphics card, no doubt, has its work cut out, your processor will be the vital part of your gaming and streaming computer. Multi-threaded and multi-core processors are the norm these days, but even modern chips meant for everyday use will bend under these demands, reducing your stream and gameplay quality. You can use your GPU to help with the encoding workload, but your processor will still have its resources split among the game, streaming, and running all of your stream-related applications. However you slice it, you’ll need a potent CPU.
As a broad guide, err on the side of a premium Intel (Core i7 and Core i9) or AMD (Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9) CPU. If you don’t know where to start with these components, you can find many more details and suggestions in our deep-dive buying guides for gaming processors and graphics cards. The reviews that the latter links to can give you an idea of the frame rates you can expect from typical games with a given video card. 16GB of memory is also recommended. While the minimum requirements are likely a step below these recommendations (a Core i5 CPU and 8GB of memory could run streams), you should aim at least for these parts for a much smoother experience.
Gaming-grade processors, like Intel’s Core i7 and AMD’s Ryzen 7 desktop chips, can hold their own when gaming and streaming simultaneously. This is, realistically, the level of chip that most people will be shopping in, and a good fit for a gaming PC in general. These two chip families will get the job done, though depending on your level of seriousness, the level of power might not be quite enough.
I’m speaking from experience with a Core i7 a few generations old, the Core i7-9700K, for gaming and streaming. You may start to notice a downturn in performance, and/or your stream can be choppy for viewers depending on your settings and internet. Even if your stream is running okay, multitasking becomes more difficult, and you may notice other background programs lag or hiccup, depending on your stream resolution. This is especially troublesome with a multi-monitor setup and a high-refresh-rate display, as your processor is really being asked to do a lot.
If that’s you, and you intend to be serious about streaming (especially if you plan to profit from it), investing in a Core i9 or Ryzen 9 processor is recommended. You’ll avoid frame-rate drops and can set your stream to a higher resolution with a better processor. If you’re a true enthusiast who will use the PC for many professional content creation tasks, you can also look at AMD’s and Intel’s so-called high-end desktop (HEDT) chips. AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper chips and Intel’s Core X-Series processors are lightning fast. But the HEDT crowd is even more expensive. Here are our top four streaming CPU picks for most users…
You’ll notice I talked plenty about desktops here, but didn’t cover laptops much. Laptops can stream games, but using one is generally far from ideal. If it’s your only computer and you don’t have a budget for a streaming rig, a laptop will do. Playing and streaming will really push these compact machines, though, and not all of them even have Ethernet ports for a more reliable wired connection. If you’re set on streaming, but not all that invested in an ideal experience, go for it with your gaming laptop. But for those seeking a full and robust setup, desktops, really, are the way to go.
Which Game Streaming Service Is Best?
With the PC requirements out of the way, how do you bring your gameplay to the masses? Your video card and processor will be capable of handling the streaming; you just have to give them the platform and tools to synthesize and broadcast them.
There’s no beating around the bush that Twitch is the great big gorilla here, so jump in to our Twitch streaming guide for how to get started on that specific platform. It’s the obvious choice for most folks. The largest potential audience is there, it specializes in exactly this topic, and its popularity means it has streamlined the onboarding process and functionality.
There are alternatives to Twitch, though. Gaming is a popular category in its own right on YouTube, piggybacking off the already ubiquitous video platform, and YouTube is home to a host of high-profile streamers. Facebook Gaming has less of an audience, but still millions of users, and it may gain popularity following a partnership with Microsoft after the software giant closed its own platform, Mixer, in June 2020. The fact that Twitch is the most popular can be a bad thing, in one respect, since so many streamers are competing for eyeballs on the service. As a beginner, you might have better luck carving out your own niche on one of the alternate platforms. (See our separate guide outlining Twitch and its alternatives here.)
Whichever you decide on, setting it up is not as complicated as you might fear. As mentioned, the popularity of game streaming motivated all of these services to make getting started as easy as possible. Twitch even has its own collection of walkthroughs to help you out, but a lot of it is very intuitive even without them.
Some games, and even whole services, will have a broadcast function built in; you can’t make streaming any easier than pressing a button to go live within a game. This will immediately push your gameplay live to a linked account where viewers can tune in. This is similar to how consoles deal with streaming across the board, which is what makes console-based streaming so simple.
Not all games, though, support this functionality. Which brings us to some very important software: OBS.
Should I Use OBS for Game Streaming?
If you want to be serious about streaming, you can’t rely on individual titles to be the stream engine, because you’re out of luck if they don’t support in-game streaming and you don’t have a backup plan.
The solution, then, is dedicated software, and the go-to choice is Open Broadcasting Software, known popularly as OBS. Even if you can stream in other ways, you should ideally always go live through OBS. It wrangles all of your hardware (your mic, your camera, and so on) and software (which screen or application you want to broadcast, stream settings, hardware settings) and puts them in one place. This gives you full control of your broadcast behind the scenes, allows for customization (intro and outro sequences or graphics, green-screen effects), and provides consistency for your streams.
Learning how to use OBS may be the most complicated aspect of streaming, unfortunately. If you’d like a friendlier option, Xsplit’s Gamecaster is a bit more approachable, and fine for most users. But don’t be intimidated by OBS. First, it’s free, so what’s not to like? Learning it, like any software, just takes some time to familiarize yourself with the interface. Once you do, you’ll find it’s a powerful tool. You don’t have to be an expert to get your stream online, even if the software does allow for plenty of customization if you want to use it.
OBS is not the prettiest-looking program, which adds to its intimidation factor, but if you look closely, you’ll see that things are clearly labeled. All of your peripherals that go into streaming come together in OBS, and you can control and customize them from there. OBS does have some of its own language you’ll need to learn, like “scenes,” which can include intro and outro segments. OBS can let you add as much or as little complexity as you like.
I’ll refrain from a blow-by-blow walkthrough of OBS, as those resources exist and it would double the length of this guide. (At the link is a good breakdown from our colleagues at ExtremeTech, using OBS and Twitch together.) But learning how to utilize scenes and the Desktop Audio options are the most vital. The latter will translate any sounds playing on your PC (notably, your game audio, which is crucial) into your stream. The popular video below is also a good OBS overview with step-by-step beginner’s instructions…
If you’re using Twitch, one thing you’ll also need to do is request and enter a stream key from Twitch’s site; you can’t log in to your account directly in OBS and need to give yourself access.
The Best Mics and Cameras for Game Streaming
Of course, you need a way to show off the moneymaker: You! For some skill-based users, the gameplay may be the real product, but even then, most viewers like to see and hear the person they’re watching play. For those who rely on their entertainment value as their “hook,” a good camera and mic setup is especially important.
Your PC may have a built-in microphone (it’s much more likely on a laptop), but the quality will not be great. You could use a headset, but the quality might not be much better, and you may not necessarily want your audio input tied to your headphones. Instead, I recommend buying a standalone USB microphone. Today’s are very simple to use and should deliver much better quality.
A popular favorite (and my personal microphone for gaming and voice calls) is the Blue Yeti mic, which is versatile, high quality, and plug-and-play. It’s not exactly cheap, but it’s a go-to for many users for a reason, from podcasters to streamers to content creators. If you’re not loving the price (it tends to go for a bit over $100 by itself), keep an eye out for a sale, including some game bundles, as they tend to crop up from time to time.
Any USB microphone will do, but don’t feel like you need to go extra-fancy unless you’re a professional, profitable streamer, or audio quality is super-important to your content. Our guide to favorites can be found here, with a few of the top models below.
One leg up that laptop users have is a built-in webcam—the vast majority of desktops don’t have a camera. On one hand, that’s a benefit; on the other, built-in webcams are seldom the best quality (though they have improved) and you’ll probably want a USB camera, anyway. I don’t have a personal favorite camera, but PCMag has you covered with this guide to how to shop for a webcam, and a few specific suggestions both in that story and below.
This way, your viewers will be able to see your beautiful face, though the image quality also depends on your bitrate and connection quality. It goes without saying that having a high-speed internet connection is a boon for streaming. It will improve your production values, game connection, and stream reliability in a major way. Nobody wants to watch a choppy livestream.
I should note that you don’t need a webcam, but it definitely helps ingratiate you with viewers if they can see you and get to know you. I don’t think most streamers will find success without one.
Should I Use a Capture Card for Game Streaming, or Two Computers?
The quick answer here is no, a capture card is not essential, but that’s far from a universal answer.
On the PC side, a capture card is used to do what it sounds like: record and save video and audio footage. You can do this to save and transfer your gameplay to another PC, or to keep it for later editing. Like microphones, there are multiple capture card options, but the most frequently recommended is the Elgato HD60 Pro. Also like the mic, this is not a cheap purchase, so don’t assume straightaway that you’ll need one.
Note: Calling a capture card a “card” in the modern context is a bit of a holdover term, as most of them these days are a small external box (though there are still internal PCI Express-type capture cards). Whatever the form it takes, it connects between the streaming and the gameplay machines via HDMI. We’ve reviewed a couple.
There are two main other uses for a capture card, though. The first is for PC use with a gaming console being the source of your game stream. While I’m mainly talking in this article about PC streaming (in which you are playing your streamed game on the PC, too), you can stream your console-based gameplay through your PC, which is something that even primarily PC-based streamers may want to do. Broadcasting directly from your PlayStation or Xbox console with the built-in functionality is an easy option, but many prefer to use their PC setup as an intermediary to stream their console gameplay.
That might seem odd, but it’s easy to understand why. If you’re someone who streams both PC and console games, you don’t want to hop out of your regular PC setup to use your console each time you want to stream a console title. A full PC’s streaming hardware setup is likely also superior, allowing you to use your computer’s microphone, camera, and more while playing a console game. To do this, the capture card connects your PC and console, so it can relay the console gameplay stream to your computer, and the broadcast happens from there.
The second capture-card scenario: using a second computer attached to your main gaming computer. The second computer is used for the stream processing. As I alluded to earlier, you don’t have to make your PC perform double duty as the gaming and streaming rig. You can use a second computer as a dedicated streaming rig, fed your gameplay footage (via capture card) by the primary gaming PC, which is the one you actually play on. With all of the streaming software on the second PC and the stream processing being done there, your gaming machine is relieved of the double workload.
A new streamer does not need to purchase two PCs off the bat. though. It’s not necessary for most people, and obviously a big expense. I’d hate to see people spend money they don’t have thinking they need to invest in two PCs to make it big. Professional, full-time streamers and some of the biggest names around use this kind of setup, but it makes sense investing in one only after you’ve had some streaming success, as a way to enhance your stream quality.
Optional Extras for Streamers
In addition to the hardware essentials, some accessories can make your streaming life easier. These include lighting products, like camera-mounted right lights, that are made to place streamers in more flattering lighting for video. This is a wholly aesthetic upgrade, but viewers definitely notice higher production values.
Others are for your ease of use, like the Elgato Stream Deck. This puts commands for your stream and chat interactions at an arm’s reach, tying them to dedicated physical buttons rather than key combinations or having to click into the stream interface. This, too, is definitely a luxury, but as you can tell from my review at the link, it’s one that I like.
Another definite luxury addition (but a very fun one) is a green screen, which can really enhance your stream (and increase the number of gags you can pull off many-fold). You’ll have to buy a green screen (or other bright, solid background) separately, set it up behind you, and learn how to integrate it with your software.
As it does with many of the other accessories, Elgato sells a green screen, and the video above from BoxCast shows you how to use one with OBS. Elgato’s version is a fancy collapsible one; you can find less-expensive alternatives.
How to Stream Your Games Just Among Friends
Finally, how about some lower-pressure alternatives to streaming on Twitch or YouTube for a potential crowd? You don’t have to find an audience other than your friends, to whom you can stream privately on both Steam and Discord. Each has a built-in game-broadcasting function, allowing you to stream gameplay to your friends list and server, respectively.
I find Discord’s streaming ability to be ingenious, as you can share any screen or application at any time, and there’s very little delay. All you have to do is hit the share button in the bottom left corner of the app, or, when you have a game open, press the dedicated button that appears with the game’s title. Friends who are in the voice channel can easily pop in to your stream, and you don’t need OBS or anything else to operate your broadcast.
Make Your Streams Come True…
Hopefully, you now feel much more comfortable with what streaming requires, and less intimidated by what you need to get started. Each class of hardware and software you need entails some detailed decision making, but you now have all of the information you need to acquire the essentials. And if you already have a decent gaming desktop, you’re well ahead of the curve.
Whatever your goals in streaming—aiming for the big-time, or just having a little fun with friends—I hope you now feel motivated enough to give it a shot. Maybe I’ll see you out there. And, hey! If you make it big, remember where you got your start.
