Streaming video games on Twitch has become a popular hobby for many gamers. It’s not difficult to set up, but there are certain things that you need to consider before running your stream. This article will help you get started by revealing some useful tips to consider. Check what equipment you need and how to design your stream. Read on for more details about setting up your Twitch channel.
Customize Your Twitch Channel
Design your Twitch channel to draw more viewers by picking a good username and profile picture. It should be appropriate for the type of games you play or other videos on your channels. Pay attention to the channel design. Make it unique by setting up a catchy Twitch overlay. You can design overlays on Photoshop or by using a Twitch overlay maker online.
If you don’t want to waste your time on designing, just look for ready-made overlays. Both free and paid options are available on the market. Apart from overlays, look for design-matching chat boxes, alerts, alert sounds, and more. When it comes to the games you want to stream, play them on a high-performance PC.
What Equipment to Consider to Run a Stream
If you want to set up a Twitch stream, it is important to pick the right hardware. Your computer needs enough power so that your game runs flawlessly. It doesn’t have to lag or crash during streaming. This will affect the quality of your content as well as how much viewers enjoy watching your videos.
Your computer should have enough RAM and graphics memory for your gameplay. Don’t forget about encoding software that will optimize your video quality before running Twitch streaming. For broadcasting with no delay, use an external capture card or internal OBS hardware encoder in case of using Open Broadcaster Software (OBS).
These products need extra CPU power which is best done by buying a separate computer just for streaming purposes. If you don’t want this hassle, we recommend using Xplit Gamecaster as an all-in-one tool without any additional hardware requirements needed except for displaying the game screen itself through HDMI or VGA input from your gaming console/ computer.
Other things to consider are whether you have a stable internet connection with good upload speeds. Especially if you plan on using voice chat for communicating with people in real-time while playing games online. You can use an external microphone if possible. Since built-in mics usually produce poor sound quality. This leads to more distractions from watching gameplay videos.
It would be a great perk if there were multiple recording devices available. It’s good to have additional cameras connected to capture different angles of yourself while playing games. If you watch other Twitch streamers, they might have multiple cameras. This way it appears as if you’re there with them and viewers can see your reactions to the events that occur during gameplay.
An ergonomic gaming chair is another thing to consider. It’s important to be comfortable while streaming. As you’ll need to sit in the same spot for hours on end. People are drawn to Twitch live streams because of how interactive they are. So it would make sense if the streamer was relaxed as well.
Plan Your Stream Ahead
As far as what games or programs you should use, there is flexibility here. You might want to have a game that’s popular with viewers already installed on your computer. People will enjoy watching you play that particular title more than others. A program like OBS can help record gameplay footage and share it with viewers simultaneously through Twitch channels.
Another thing is to decide what kind of games or genres you want to play on your Twitch channel. You should also consider whether playing multiplayer online games is suitable for streaming. Since some players prefer not being seen while gaming. If this is your case, then single-player games would be better suited for streaming. Because no one has a problem seeing faces when watching someone play alone. Also, don’t forget about choosing which platform you will use – PC, Xbox One X, PSVR, Nintendo Switch, or Playstation VR?
The Final Word
Nowadays, Twitch is one of the most popular streaming services for gamers. It also has a huge number of viewers and streamers from all over the world who broadcast their gaming sessions live to an audience. There are many different types of games that you can play on Twitch. But in order to draw more attention, it’s better if your interests coincide with what people like watching on this platform. This mostly means multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) or first-person shooters (FPS).
If playing alone doesn’t bother you too much, then single-player games would be a great choice as well. No one will have a problem seeing faces while someone plays them either way. But choosing whether PC, Xbox One X, PSVR/PSVR Pro, or Nintendo Switch is the biggest dilemma for Twitch streamers.
Choosing which game you want to play on your channel should be done strategically. So pay attention to what game titles are trending at any given moment. It’s recommended that if new games come out, then try playing them after they become popular. Experienced players have developed a solid strategy of gameplay. You can also check some reviews first before getting into it yourself too.
Source: thenewstrace.com