What you need to know to stream quality video games

Sharing how you play online is something simple that anyone can do just by looking at a couple of guides. However, doing it optimally is another story. Because there are technical aspects that influence the quality of the broadcast. So, this is what you need to know to stream video optimally.

Technical aspects of video streaming

Video streaming is nothing more than broadcasting live content over the internet. A content that later, depending on the platform, can continue to be seen or not. Therefore, we must try to ensure that the quality is always the best possible. And to achieve this, the first thing to understand is what and how it affects video transmission.

A streaming is conditioned by three key elements: hardware, software and the internet connection itself. In addition, it is not the same to broadcast a game that we are running on the PC itself that we are using for the live or that it is running on a console or another computer. But we will see the different cases later, now let's see how each of these elements affects.

• Hardware: PC power is important. If, in addition, you want to use it to play, you will need a CPU or graphics card with sufficient resources so as not to hinder the gaming experience or the quality of the broadcast. This point is probably the most complicated of all. If you do not control too much of the subject, it is best to ask for help from a professional or ask in forums of experts in this matter.
• Software: The options given by the applications used are also very important, especially if you want to display something other than the game's own video signal. It will not be the same to broadcast a simple direct in which we talk than to broadcast a game of a video game next to a screen with our face commenting, another area where our followers can read the Twitch chat while they watch the video in full screen and also go out notifications about donations and new subscribers..
• Internet connection: the bandwidth of your connection will determine the quality of the streaming itself. They do not have the same impact as the other two essential elements for streaming, but it must be taken into account. And the download speed is not as important as the upload speed. So do a speed test to know the data.

It should be mentioned that from an Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4 or Playstation 5 you can stream. Also from mobile devices. But if you want to have greater control of the broadcast and be able to scale when you see it necessary, nothing better than doing it through a PC that adapts to our measurements and needs.

streaming hardware

Choosing or having the right hardware is the first thing to keep in mind. If, in addition, you want to use it to run the games that you are going to stream even more. So, although there is some relationship with the software as we will see later, having the most powerful components always helps.

It is difficult to talk about minimum hardware, so we better talk about how it affects each component of a PC:

• Processor: If you are going to use the X264 codec, it will be the CPU that will do the encoding tasks. Therefore, having a powerful micro such as an Intel Core i7 or an AMD Ryzen 5 processor or higher. In this aspect, the cores will be important, as well as the frequency of the processor. Having a good CPU with 6 cores is almost a basic requirement today. If, on the other hand, you use the NVENC codec, compatible with Nvidia graphics, you can stream and play with a lower-end processor, such as an Intel Core i5 or equivalent. Even so, it is advisable to set up a team that can accompany us for many years, making sure that it does not have weak points that could become a bottleneck in a matter of one or two years.
• Graphic card: As we already anticipated, if you have an Nvidia GPU you can take advantage of the NVENC codec that downloads to the CPU and offers good performance without much loss of FPS when playing. On the other hand, AMD graphics cards use AMF, which is an open-source alternative. In this case, you can use HEVC (as long as the platform you are streaming on supports that codec).
• RAM: as for any other use that you are going to make, the more RAM the better. Minimum 16 GB of memory, but if you are also going to play on the same PC, bet on 32 GB.
• Storage: if in addition to shimmer If you want to save the content locally, ideally you should have a separate and fast storage unit. So preferably use SSD drives. In case of not being able to, use HDD units at 7.200 rpm, but we anticipate that using hard drives will greatly hinder the performance of your equipment.
• Video Capture: if in addition to broadcasting your game you want to be seen, you will need a video capture to which you can connect the video signal that you take through a video camera or DSLR type camera with HDMI output. It is also the way you will have to stream from the video obtained from an Xbox One, Playstation or other gaming devices (a second PC).
• Webcam: Another cheaper option is to use a webcam or cameras that have the option of being used as a webcam. They won't give the same quality, but they can help you if you don't want to make a big investment at first. Here, depending on the camera model you have, you could also take advantage of the applications that they have been releasing to turn your DSLR or Mirrorless into a webcam just by connecting them via USB to computer.
• Audio: there are not few streamers who have reached the top with a mediocre microphone. However, it is another point of the setup that will be worth improving over time. Depending on where you record, you will need one type of microphone or another, as well as padding the walls to prevent echoes. It is also important to use headphones so that the sound of the computer does not filter into the streaming itself.
• Monitors: If you only want to broadcast and be seen, without interacting with the audience, you will be comfortable with a monitor. But if you want to follow comments in chats, etc., better two monitors so you can have the game full screen on one and everything related to the broadcast on the second. The multiple setup will also be very interesting if at any time you want to share your screen beyond video games. You will be able to keep things like your Discord, Twitter or the browser on one screen and not show your audience these applications, thus preserving your privacy.
• Lighting: It's important to look good, so having a quality lighting set is important. Here the ideal is that they are also LEDs, because they produce less heat and that will prevent you from sweating. Something really useful in summer or if the area where you live is generally hot.
• Chroma: If you can't have a flashy background or would like to do some other on-screen integration, then having a green or chroma key background will allow you to do all of that and more. However, you must take into account that you will consume a greater amount of resources if you use this effect.

You don't have to buy all this from the start, you can go little by little seeing what is the most important and basic. As you go, whether you like this streaming thing or not, you will have time to buy new hardware.

OBS, the most complete option for streaming

Among the different options you can find for streaming, Viewer discretion is one of the most complete software solutions (without forgetting XSplit). In addition, there are many resources and guides to configure it optimally.

Basically, what you have to know is that OBS allows you to create custom screens and place the different fonts in the screen position you want. You can also set technical aspects such as maximum bitrate value, codec used, broadcast resolution, frames per second, etc.

This is somewhat complex at first, but the only way to find the best possible configuration is by testing. Still, there are some schemes you can try based on the equipment you have, the quality you want to get, and the content you're going to share. It is not the same to stream a slower game than one with more action like Warzone, Fortnite or Overwatch.

• 720p quality: use of 1280 x 720 resolution and bitrate between 1.500-4.000 kbps at 60 fps
• 1080p quality: use of 1920 x 1080p resolution and bitrate between 4.000-8.000 kbps at 60 fps
• 4K quality: use of 3860 x 2160 resolution and bitrate between 8.000-14.000 kbps

There are more aspects that can be configured and that will depend on the hardware or other established options. For example, if we are going to use the previously mentioned X264 or NVENC codec (exclusive option for computers with Nvidia graphics) we can tell the CPU that I worked more or less.

Of course, to start with, you can follow the setup wizard and see if the settings it establishes convince you to start with. That same assistant will ask you at the end to enter the service key that you will use: Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, etc.

With all this, the last step is to create the scene or scenes that you are going to need if you are going to stream only the game, if you will also appear, if it will be a collaborative streaming as we do in our CoopTV and everything related to the design.

To do this, you can use many of the templates that other users share on the internet or create it with Gimp, Photoshop or similar. These elements, as well as others such as video from a capture, audio output, multimedia source, etc., are added from the Source panel that you will see on the main screen.

Getting the most out of OBS

Once you have everything installed and working, the usual thing is that you progress little by little and want to have a greater control over your streaming. For example, it is interesting to have functions such as mute the microphone, change the camera, show a transition, show or hide the chat or even change the distribution of the elements on the screen for certain situations.

You can do all this by hand, of course, but it is much easier to have everything at hand. There are devices like the elgato Stream Deck that allow you to configure multiple options from a personalized button panel that we can have near our keyboard. However, there are mobile applications that do the same job. One of the best known in Android is StreamControl, which connects directly to OBS Studio by local connection (it requires previously activating the obs-websocket 4.8 or higher plugin and having at least version 25 of the program). If you are an iOS user, our recommendation is that you use Touch Portal, which is also a very complete app and uses the same plugin to work with OBS Studio. That app is also on Android and can be configured to add touch buttons to other programs like Photoshop. Whether you go for StreamControl, Touch Portal or another alternative, it is recommended to install these applications on a tablets, not on a mobile phone, as they are only comfortable to handle on a relatively large screen. Even so, you can install them on a smartphone to test or to get out of trouble at some point.

Add effects to live

But if there is something that is especially striking, it is the effects that can be seen in many of the live shows of the best-known streamers on Twitch. All these effects have been previously prepared and can be configured in OBS or with external tools. In any case, you must be clear that there are two types of effects to apply:

• scene transitions: These are the effects that are produced when we change scenes in OBS: These transitions can carry simple fade-to-black effects, wipes or simple movements that can be applied directly from OBS from the broadcast panel (Studio mode). The transitions that show much more complex logos and effects have been pre-designed in editing programs like After Effects, so quite a bit of knowledge is required to be able to craft something that meets your requirements.
• notification effects: The other effects you might be looking for are those related to chat notifications. For example, if a user makes a donation, you could set a specific sound and animation that floats on the screen. All of these settings related to chat and notifications on your Twitch account are configured using the service Streamlabs. The official application of this service has a huge number of alerts and notifications ready to be configured and customized, so you only have to link your Twitch account and start choosing your effects.

Broadcasting on Twitch

There are several platforms where you can stream live, although the most popular are YouTube and Twitch. The latter is where everyone is right now and it is logical, there are many reasons to try it. Because if you do well you can get succulent income.

However, starting to broadcast on Twitch can be somewhat complex if you want to add custom screens, gifs or videos that are played by sending your broadcast, automated actions when a user subscribes to your channel, etc. Therefore, investigate and see how or what other users of the platform do. But above all do not be discouraged and go little by little. The twitch help section is the best place to start.