Live streaming has become massive in today’s time, especially when it comes to social media or gaming platforms like Twitch.
People take pride in showcasing their gaming talent, winning tactics, and tournaments. Also, entertaining the audience with their humorous commentaries is a big hit.
However flashy this may sound, it is actually not hard to create your place in this alternate gaming universe.
You do not need a huge fan-following to get started. All you need are a couple of essential pieces of equipment to provide amazing online content on Twitch. Now, if you are confused about the types of equipment, we are here to your rescue.
In this article, we will talk about the equipment that you need to stream on Twitch.
Let’s get you live!!
The Essential Equipment Required To Stream On Twitch
There are three primary pieces of equipment that you require to stream on Twitch.
Computer Or Laptop
To start your streaming journey, a single screen is enough. But if you want to provide high-quality content, you should go with two screens – one screen to play the game while the other stream on Twitch.
The decision to opt for a single screen or two screens depends on your budget. Since you will have to focus on multiple types of equipment, you need to manage your budget accordingly.
Get a laptop or PC specifically built, keeping in mind the requirements of playing heavy-duty games. Below are the specifications that you need to consider before investing in a new PC or laptop –
- A Windows 7+ operating system
- An Intel Core i5 – 4670 processor or equally powerful AMD
- Multi-threaded CPUs which have four, six, and eight-core configurations
- A graphics card that supports the game you will be playing and, preferably, one that supports DirectX 10 and upper versions
- An internet or ethernet connection that gives you an upload speed of a minimum of 3 MB/second
- A generous amount of RAM ranging from at least 12 GB (the best would be to get a 16 GB RAM, in the beginning, itself to avoid spending dollars in the later stage)
Fun Fact:
Suppose you do not directly want to start streaming about gaming. And want to take time to build a considerable number of fan-following, you can do it with your smartphones.
You can start streaming yourself playing music, cooking, giving commentary, or simply hanging out. You will find numerous others streaming themselves doing similar funny things and merely entertaining people to win them, subscribers.
For such type of broadcasting, you will not need any fancy equipment except your smartphone!
To do this, Twitch has a popular IRL category. You can easily stream directly to Twitch from the official Android or iOS apps.
This proves to be a better way to do light, entertaining, and non-gaming streams to understand the Twitch algorithm before joining it as a newbie.
Webcam Or Camera
Making yourself visible to the people will help the audience connect to you properly. Therefore, buying a webcam to serve this purpose is crucial.
A 1080p would be just the thing to suit your streaming.
High-Quality Microphone And Pop Filter
A default microphone does not have the required quality for online streaming. Rather go for a separate high-quality microphone.
There are numerous microphones specifically designed for streaming and recording purpose. It does not necessarily have to be expensive.
You can also go for a USB microphone if you do not want to get into the complications of getting a separate microphone and USB port to connect to your PC or laptop.
Pop Filter is a mesh-looking device in front of the microphone. This Pop Filter helps to enhance the quality of voice recording.
Additional Equipment Required To Stream On Twitch – Add-Ons
These are the hardware equipment that you do not require initially. But as you start gaining popularity, you may want to up your game. That is when these equipment will come in handy.
- Dual screen
- Third screen
- Audio Mixer
- Microphone Suspension Stands
- Lighting Stands
- Capture Card
Apart from these, you will need a basic subscription amounting to $4.99 to start streaming. There are multiple other benefits as well that you will receive with this subscription.
Gradually you may go for higher value subscriptions to avail of maximum benefits.
Wrapping Up
Whether you want to broadcast yourself playing video games, watch others play, or be a part of something special, Twitch is the ultimate platform for you.
But to take full advantage of the platform, you should be able to familiarize yourself with all the necessary terms, equipment, and tricks that will make your Twitch journey successful.
We hope through this article that we could give you a clear idea about the kind of hardware and software equipment you require to fulfill the bare minimum of streaming on Twitch.
