Streaming is an incredibly popular trend where you share videos of your favorite games with other people on video sharing platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Whether you want to showcase your best gaming moments or create a welcoming environment for your community, with skill, dedication, and a little bit of luck, you too can be the next big streamer. For many gamers it is a dream to be able to live from their passion. Streaming is one way to do this, but in a world where everyone is already streaming, you need a professional-looking setup to stand out from the crowd.
Twitch is an incredible concept. Video games have followed a path similar to online gambling, growing exponentially over the last three decades to the point where people around the world are spending almost $100 billion a year on them. Twitch was created to capitalize on the ever-present desire to watch other people play video games, with the broadcaster share their opinion, play something differently, or create a true online community where fans of a particular game can come together and talk about it. Streaming poker is becoming increasingly popular and Twitch is now home to many poker players and broadcasters filming themselves playing online poker. They chat about their game, brag when they win, or just sit still and place their bets while the camera rolls. Just like poker on TV in the 1990's, people now have a much better insight into the lives of poker players, albeit with a webcam pointed at a computer screen. And that's where Twitch is really changing the game of poker. The future of poker is 100% online due to developments like Twitch. As technology gets better, more people can have a better experience than at the casino. You can watch Twitch stars for tips on how to play before they just sign up and play instead of going to the casino.
The Choosing the Right Equipment for your live streams can feel like a tall order. Since the quality of your broadcast depends on your streaming setup, investing in gear is always a big step whether you're a beginner or a seasoned streamer. While every content producer has their personal preferences and specific workflows, there are a few favorite devices in the streaming community to choose from. So where do you start? The three most important devices are of course a webcam, a microphone and a capture card. While you probably have a webcam and microphone built into your laptop, chances are the quality isn't very high. Once you've done those three things, you'll have your basic framework, but there are a few other things you'll definitely need as well.
game system
You don't need to equip yourself with the latest components in your streaming PC, but if you have some of the latest technologies you can play the latest games in the highest quality. If you FPS-Streaming games like Fortnite, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or Rainbow Six Siege, you should also keep in mind that you don't want to experience FPS drops while streaming as it can affect your gameplay. High-end hardware is required for capturing, editing, and encoding videos. So, as a bare minimum, we recommend a six-core Intel or AMD CPU, 16GB of RAM, a GeForce RTX graphics card, and ideally an SSD rather than a hard drive big enough to store your latest streams. With a more powerful system, you can process videos faster and add more post-processing effects.
streaming software
The second consideration concerns the streaming softwarethat you want to use. Open Broadcaster Software, better known as OBS, is a very popular open source free download while other commercial applications like XSplit are available.
Capture card
If PC gaming isn't your thing, or if you want to record console-exclusive games, consider incorporating a capture card into your streaming workflow. There are a number of different models available such as B. the Blackmagic ATEM Mini, the AverMedia Live Gamer and the Elgato Capture Card series, which are available as internal PCI-E or external USB connection and either 1080p- or record 4K videos in high-end models.
PC streaming
If you only want to stream PC games and your PC is powerful enough to both play the game and process the stream, then a streaming card is not essential. However, some professional streamers use a setup consisting of two PCs: one PC to play the game and a second PC equipped with a streaming card to play the game Signal and HDMI capture.
Microphone
With literally thousands of streamers out there, an engaging and clearly recorded commentary on your stream is the best way to stand out from the crowd. If you can't afford to buy your own microphone, consider using the microphone built into your gaming headset. This has the advantage of being close to your mouth so it doesn't pick up too much background noise.
Webcam
Not all streamers appear on screen, some only provide audio commentary, but if you want to appear in the stream, a good camera and good lighting are essential.
Although many action cameras and many DSLRs can connect directly to a PC or laptop via USB, one should definitely consider purchasing an Elgato Cam Link. This simple device acts as an interface between the camera and the PC, allowing you to record directly to your PC rather than to the camera's limited on-board memory.
Lighting
Last but not least, you also need to invest in lighting if you want to be visible in your stream. The simple rule for lighting is that you need at least two light sources: a main light source, commonly referred to as the main light, and a secondary light source, known as the fill light. Both light sources are usually positioned behind the camera at different angles to compensate for the uneven areas of light and shadow created by the other light source. Depending on the shape of your room and the amount of ambient light, you may need to play around with the ideal positioning of the main and fill lights.
Accessories
No true streaming setup is complete without accessories, and while not all of these things are necessary, they will definitely help you with content creation. Whether they help you control your streaming content more easily with a stream deck or transport you to a completely different environment with a green screen, you can choose exactly what works for you and your budget.
Green Screen
Green screens are used to combine two video streams together, in this case the first video stream from the game and the second from your camera. Using a process known as "chroma key compositing" or "chroma keying," your streaming or recording software makes everything green (including clothing) transparent. So if you're behind a green screen and configure the chroma key in your streaming software, you'll have no background behind and can overlay your webcam stream over your game for a nice clean look.
stream deck
Controlling your stream overlays can be quite complicated if they're just a mix of keyboard shortcuts. One often forgets which is the live scene and which is the camera scene. Luckily, that's where the Elgato Stream Deck comes in. This multi-action control pad allows you to create macros right on the device, using the LCD-Keys show you exactly what's what. There are currently three options to choose from: a 6 button version, a 15 button version and a 32 button version. They all work the same, but the larger ones just allow you more control over your stream.