Game streaming is among the fastest-developing entertainment segments. In an attempt to gain a favorable competitive advantage against its main rival, Twitch, YouTube Gaming continues to improve its services in this segment.
Although the required set-up process in order to be able to stream your desired games on the YouTube gaming platform is complex, you will only need to do it once. Afterward, all it takes is a button press to begin streaming. Fortunately, this article will guide you on how to stream games on YouTube.
What You Need to Begin YouTube Game Streaming
Live streaming your webcam on YouTube is quite simple, but streaming a game is slightly more complicated. Therefore, you need to fulfill the following requirements and have these items listed below in order to live stream on YouTube Gaming:
1. YouTube Account Verification
Verifying your YouTube account is mandatory to be able to enjoy their game streaming services. If you already have a YouTube account, the verification procedure is straightforward; you only need to visit the create studio icon on your account’s dashboard and follow the required steps. YouTube will send a code via a text or a phone call. They will authenticate your account as soon as you enter the code, and your account will now be ready to game stream.
2. A Computer
You can utilize a laptop or desktop running Mac, Windows, or Linux to stream. However, the computer must have sufficient processing power to encode videos as you’re playing a game.
3. High-speed Internet
It would be best if you had adequate upstream bandwidth on your internet connection to swiftly upload all the necessary high-definition videos associated with your game.
4. An Encoder Software
Streaming on YouTube Gaming is only possible with an encoder; since its work is to record your gameplay, stream it after encoding, and then post it to YouTube. There are two free encoding program options to consider; XSplit Broadcaster or Open Broadcast Studio (OBS).
5. A VPN
A VPN gaming console is also a valuable item to consider; since online gaming poses the same cybercrime risks as other online activities. Apart from protecting you from cyber threats, the benefits of utilizing a VPN gaming console are immense. For instance, all YouTube streaming gamers agree that when a VPN Console is selected for YouTube gaming, one can access and play games from anywhere globally. They are also able to benefit from any restricted regional pricing options. Additionally, a VPN console will enable you to bypass bandwidth throttling if your Internet Service Provider decides to lower your connection’s speed.
How To Stream Games on YouTube
The OBS encoder (Open Broadcaster Software) is the most straightforward and highly reliable encoding program to use. You can generate scenes as soon as you install the app and sign in to your account. You can avoid the headache of having to recreate a specific set of sources each time you start a broadcast by creating numerous scenes.
A simple scene would consist of the webcam feed and your game, but you can also include overlays, goal monitors, subscription alerts, and many other things. You can adjust or resize your camera feed if it’s blocking a crucial part of the game.
Under the Mixer area, you’ll also see a variety of audio inputs. It applies to your desktop audio or any plugged-in microphones. Any objects you add that include audio components will also appear here.
After customizing your desired scene, you can then proceed to go live by clicking the “Go Live” icon at the bottom of the screen to start a YouTube gaming broadcast. However, it is vital to note that YouTube’s gaming stream functions differently than Twitch. Therefore, for each live stream, you will need to set up a different set of stream information.
Live streams need to have the same metadata as regular videos on YouTube, including titles, thumbnails, descriptions, and other information. Fortunately, you can make the live broadcast public, private, or unlisted to enable you to test your configurations before going live.
You can also activate stream advertisements and allow chat contributions if you have already enabled YouTube monetization on your account. It is a good idea to move the dashboard to a second monitor if you have one so you can keep an eye on the broadcast and read your participants’ conversations simultaneously.
Conclusion
You are now ready to begin streaming after taking everything into consideration. Another benefit of using YouTube Gaming is that it provides various options to help you grow your fan base and expand your current YouTube channel.