Streaming the live play of games across the Internet has become an incredibly popular pastime. Not only are there plenty of gamers who want to stream themselves in action, but there are millions of viewers who want to watch. If you have been considering streaming your games, you might wonder what you need to get started. It is a great way to show off your talent as a video gamer, and there are lots of communities out there that enjoy sharing their videos and watching other people play. So, if you're looking to get started with streaming your gameplay, here are a few hints and tips to help you get your first stream live.
Why Do People Stream?
Understanding the motivation for streaming games helps you determine what level of computer equipment you might need. For those streaming as a pure hobby, there is less of the requirement to have the latest state of the art technology. However, it is possible to monetise live streaming, but this becomes a chicken and egg situation. Unless you can easily afford the high-end gear, you may never know if you can break into the money end of the market or not. Getting paid to stream your games or taking part in online streamed tournaments can give you money, but it is very rare for a new player to the market to start this way. So, the best thing you can do is make the most of the technology you have, using it as best as possible to get yourself up and running while you start developing an audience. If you find that you have generated an extensive viewer base, you can consider monetising your stream and therefore getting financed together to upgrade your equipment.
The Basics
When you are streaming games, your viewers will not care what type of keyboard or mouse you might have. They won't even care what computer you have, providing it is powerful enough to cope with the workload you are placing on it. So, if you do have a small amount of money for upgrading your system, spend it wisely on something like a higher-end graphics card. One thing that will drive away viewers faster than anything else is a stream that freezes and lapses all over the place. If you have a system that can do justice to an AAA release, you will probably be fine to head online and stream. You want to achieve a full high-definition stream that offers 1920 by 1080 resolution, commonly known as 1080P. This is the level at which we can be sure you will get a good rendering and a smooth and problem-free display. However, strangely enough, some of the most professional gamers prefer to stream at 900P or 720P. This is down to the difference created by just playing alone at home to having to then share the play across an Internet connection.
Of course, this then puts further strain on your computer, and your PC must work an awful lot harder. This brings us on to the next requirement, which is a stable Internet connection. If you are living in a household where everybody is uploading, downloading, and streaming, you may find it challenging to get an exclusive stable connection just for yourself. But glitching and freezing will seriously ruin the experience and are not a good way to try and get yourself a name or an audience. Part of the experience comes from the viewer's technology, but there is nothing you can do about that. If they have a poor signal, that is their problem, but you want to make sure that from your side as the owner of the stream that you have taken care of all technical issues and are offering the best show possible.
Camera and Mic
The next part of technology you're going to need to investigate is your camera and microphone setup. Your camera doesn't have to be top of the range with a price tag that makes you cry but generally, anything built into a laptop won't be good enough. Desktops don't always have built-in webcams, so in both cases, it's probably better to get yourself an external USB webcam. Although generally, computers have built-in microphones in most cases, they won't be good enough. When you watch a live stream, you will see that most gamers are choosing to wear headsets with an audio input or have a free-standing microphone on the desk in front of them. Thankfully neither of these are particularly expensive options, but they offer better performance than anything built into the computer.
The Streaming Service
So how do you finally bridge the gap by being someone who plays a computer game at home in their room to bring this out into the public domain on a live stream? The simple answer is a streaming service, and there are hundreds out there. Of course, going for a streaming service that already has a substantial audience just milling around looking for some new talent makes the most sense, so in that case, you want to look at Twitch. It is considered the best available and not spots off Facebook Gaming and YouTube. However, these are both viable options, and it's up to you to decide what works best. So, there you have it, following these few simple steps will leave you Internet streaming ready in no time.
