Expensive Streaming Equipment is Unnecessary
It is not extremely important for you to buy the most expensive streaming equipment if you are planning to stream games on Twitch.tv, however you’re going to need a decent set up so that it doesn’t look horrible to your audience and fans.
Nowadays there are many people streaming online who have very expensive equipment and it is very obvious whenever somebody tries to jump into the game and get by using the bear menu mom.
If you are just starting out with streaming and you are not sure if you are going to be extremely successful, then you shouldn’t go all out and spend your entire budget as a beginner without a large fan base or without many subscribers.
Being a successful streamer
There are many things that go into being a successful streamer and buying the right equipment is only the beginning. If your personality doesn’t match what many successful streamers need to attract a large audience, then you may not be successful for quite a while unless you stick to it for many months.
The right attitude would be one that grabs people’s attention and somebody who is overly enthusiastic about gaming so that younger gamers get attracted to your stream as soon as they see you. If you are a quiet person or do not like to interact with other people while you play games, then streaming may not be for you.
We are going to tell you exactly what kind of equipment to buy, because there are hundreds of products out there and each of them have their own advantages and disadvantages.
However it is important that you get a few key components down when choosing your equipment and you probably shouldn’t go cheap on some of the more expensive stuff such as audio.
Microphone & Audio
A decent microphone is essential to growing your audience on twitch because if you’re viewers can’t hear you clearly or if there is a lot of static coming through with your voice, then you are going to suffer when it comes to growing quickly on twitch.tv.
You can get a simple USB microphone that plugs straight into your computer and that will do a good job for around $50.
Some of the more expensive microphones can run you anywhere from $100-$200 but they will improve the quality of your stream significantly.
You shouldn’t go all out when trying to set up a proper audio and usually a headset with a microphone will do just fine whenever you’re playing competitive games.
Another important aspect when it comes to stringing games on twitch is your video set up.
High-quality WebCam
One of the most important components when it comes to streaming and video is a high-quality WebCam that can capture your face so that your fans can see reactions as you interact with them and play games at the same time.
That is one of the most important parts of streaming because many people would rather play games by themselves if they cannot see your reaction during scary or action-packed gameplay videos and it is a great way for your fans to get to know who you are as a person and get attracted to your personality and your style.
Another important part is your entire gaming computer. A high-quality gaming PC will allow you to do everything at once such as record your video from your WebCam and stream that along with high definition gameplay in at least 720p quality.
High-end Computers to stream in 1080p
Some higher-end computers will be able to stream at 1080p but if you do not have a computer that can handle it then you will experience a lag and nobody wants to see a stuttering video quality.
Internet connection speed is also vital when it comes to streaming. Here is where you need to focus not only on your download speed but your upload speed as well. If you are only uploading at 1 MB per second then that might not be good enough to play games smoothly while streaming smoothly as well for your audience.
It is recommended that you have anywhere from 3 to 5 MB per second upload speed and 5 to 10 or higher download speed should be sufficient enough for you to play games and interact with your audience on twitch as well.
These are only a few of the things that are most important when it comes to streaming however there are many other things that come into play and you will have to figure them out on your own once you start streaming and see what is most important when it comes to your own set up so that you can get yourself across as naturally as possible.
This is some great advice because you really do need to have the right equipment to set up a good live stream. I especially like that you’ve included a good microphone in the list of stuff to get. There’s nothing more that I hate than hearing live streamers with that really tinny echoed voice.