Popular open-source live streaming software OBS (short for Open Broadcasting Software) has been working on its Twitch Enhanced Broadcasting feature. It now bears fruit for users with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 900 series (via Jacob Freeman) and above graphics cards. This feature was showcased in February and released with initial support for GeForce RTX graphics cards.

The OBS 30.2 RC1 update works with older Maxwell-based GeForce GTX 900-series graphics cards. Apart from having the proper hardware, the streamer must be accepted into Twitch's BETA program. For now, all the encoders on the GeForce cards can have up to eight concurrent encodings, while Twitch accepts five with H.264/AVC encoding at a maximum setting of 1080p60. Naturally, broadcasting client-side transcoding will require the streamer to have a good enough internet connection.

Adding support for older graphics cards has benefits, as not everyone requires the best hardware for the games they stream, including many multiplayer titles. This includes those with GTX 10 series and GTX 16 series graphics cards. Providing such support ensures Nvidia can enjoy exclusivity with Twitch live streamers until it includes Intel and AMD Radeon GPUs, hopefully in the future.

To provide optimal broadcast quality on behalf of its livestreamers, Twitch collaborated with OBS and Nvidia for this feature. Once enabled, OBS creates these transcodes via the live streamer's discrete NVENC hardware encoder on the Nvidia GPUs and transmits them to the Twitch server. Each encoding is optimized for a particular quality and resolution, which is selectively broadcasted to a viewer based on the quality setting they've selected. 

The Twitch Enhanced Broadcasting feature provides the best viewing experience based on the viewer's setting. Additionally, it eliminates the headache of manually choosing a fixed setting in OBS on behalf of users. For example, a high-bitrate setting will cause buffering for those with low-bandwidth internet connections. Still, those with high-bandwidth connections will not get the best possible viewing quality if the OBS uses a lower-bitrate setting. Enhance broadcasting takes care of that process as the GPU transcodes and sends it to Twitch servers, targeting a viewer using a particular setting.

It is uncertain when this option will be freely available for all Twitch streamers without requiring sign-up and approval. It is also unsure whether this will be enabled for Intel and AMD GPUs and even include AV1 to H264 in its transcoding, which is currently exclusive to the RTX 40 series.

It is hard to tell when Twitch and OBS can evolve from the BETA stage without having this feature exclusive to Nvidia. However, once this enhanced transcoding comes out of the BETA stage for both Twitch and OBS, we should have a much larger demographic of live streamers, and their viewers will benefit from it.

The best gaming headsets have some pretty impressive built-in mics these days, but they're built to multi-task — they won't deliver that professional-grade clarity you hear on the radio. A standalone mic will not only make your voice sound better and clearer to your teammates, coworkers, and viewers, it can also be used for other things (such as podcasting or recording music).

You don't need to go full-on audio nerd and get an XLR mic (though you can) to upgrade your voice comms — a spare USB port or mic jack is usually all you need for an interface. If you've already upgraded to one of the best gaming keyboards and one of the best gaming mice, it's time to pick up a standalone gaming mic.

Prime Day Exceptional Gaming Mic Deal

This is a standout deal from the Prime Day event, which is currently taking place. Our list of best overall picks continues below.

The Quick List

The Best Gaming Microphones You Can Buy Today

Best Gaming Microphone for Most

Rode’s NT-USB+ retains the sturdy, professional design of its predecessor — the NT-USB — but adds some pretty impressive upgrades, including enhanced circuitry, Rode’s Revolution Preamp technology, and an internal DSP (as well as USB-C connectivity).

This condenser microphone produces excellent vocals with a solid low end and very little self noise — giving you broadcast-quality sound in an easy-to-use, plug-and-play package.

The NT-USB+ comes with a 9.8-foot (3m) USB-C to USB-C cable, a plastic tripod desktop stand, a detachable metal mesh pop shield, and a detachable ring mount that can be easily mounted on a boom arm (or a different stand). It features a 3.5mm high-power headphone output for zero-latency monitoring on the mic, as well as two dials to control mix and headphone volume level.

It does not have a gain dial or a mute button. The NT-USB+’s internal DSP allows for advanced audio processing, which can be activated using one of Rode’s apps — Rode Central, Rode Connect, or the Rode X Unify software.

The NT-USB+ improves upon the NT-USB — already an impressive USB microphone — to deliver fantastic-sounding, clean audio with a low noise floor. If you’re looking for a mic that will make you sound great while you’re chatting with teammates or streaming over Twitch, look no further.

Read: Rode NT-USB+ Review

Best Gaming Microphone for Streaming

HyperX's QuadCast 2 S is the most recent update to the iconic gaming mic, and it's still a fantastic mic for gaming and streaming. While the mic's 192 kHz / 32-bit sample/bit rate is definitely overkill for a gaming mic, it makes you sound great right out of the box and features bright, attractive, highly-customizable aRGB lighting that's perfect for showing off to your streaming audience.

The QuadCast 2 S looks a lot like its predecessor, the QuadCast S, with a cylindrical shape and a built-in shock mount. Both the mic and the shock mount have been redesigned, however — the QuadCast 2 S now has a multi-function knob on the front to control gain, monitor volume, playback/monitor mix, and polar pattern selection, and the shock mount has been reworked so the mic is now extremely easy to remove.

The mic comes with a sturdy desktop stand, but the shock mount can also be mounted to any mic stand or boom arm with 3/8" or 5/8" threading. The mic does retain its predecessor's tap to mute button on top, which is still the best mute system I've seen on any gaming mic.

The QuadCast 2 S's big update is its recording quality, as it can now record in the wildly unnecessary 192 kHz / 32-bit resolution. While I can't imagine anybody using this mic to record in that resolution, it's nice to at least see the step up from the QuadCast S's 48 kHz / 16-bit recording.

While the QuadCast 2 S does best when it's used for picking up one person's voice, it does have the option to record in four different polar patterns, which makes it more versatile than most of the mics on this list.

Read: HyperX QuadCast S Review

Best Gaming Microphone for Talking

The HyperX QuadCast S is another gamer-oriented USB mic that’s been around for a while (the QuadCast S is a refreshed version of the original QuadCast). The QuadCast S will work for a variety of situations, thanks to its large capsule, which features an internal pop filter and four polar patterns. It comes with an attached shock mount and a desktop stand, and — as of the most recent refresh — in black and white colorways.

It has on-mic gain control and a surprisingly unique touch-sensitive mute button that eliminates the audible pop you get when muting mics with mechanical buttons/switches.

The mic’s capsule is fully-lit with bright, colorful RGB lighting (which might be a tad ostentatious for some); this goes red when the mic is muted, leaving no ambiguity as to whether people can hear you. (In other words, it’s perfect for conference calls.)

The QuadCast S’s main downside is that it’s limited to 48 kHz/16-bit recording — which is fine for voice chats and streaming, but not great for podcasting or recording music. If you don’t need four polar patterns, the HyperX DuoCast records audio in 96 kHz/24-bit format, and is smaller and less flashy than the QuadCast S (same tap-to-mute, though).

Read: HyperX QuadCast S Review

Best Budget Gaming Microphone

Logitech's Yeti Orb is the soft successor to the classic Blue Snowball: a round, ball-shaped USB condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern and a frequency response rate of 70 - 20,000 Hz. Featuring customizable RGB lighting, a removable desktop stand, and a softer, more modern-looking design, this perfect plug-and-play mic sounds fantastic for its budget-friendly $60 MSRP.

The Yeti Orb is simple by design. It only has one polar pattern (cardioid), but it records audio at 24-bit / 48 kHz and has a relatively wide frequency response range. It comes with a sturdy (if slightly short) plastic tripod stand and has two mounting points that let you mount the mic either straight on or at an angle.

It works very well out of the box, offering up full, relatively warm vocals and keeping plosives at bay, but it does do best when it's optimally positioned (i.e., not behind your keyboard). It works with Logitech's Blue Vo!ce software, which features real-time voice modulation as well as a 3-band EQ, a high-pass filter, noise reduction/noise gate, a compressor, a de-esser, and a de-popper, as well as vocal effects and a sound sampler library for streamers.

The Yeti Orb doesn't have any on-mic controls, but it does have customizable RGB lighting that can be set to change color when the mic is active/idle. The RGB lights up the Logitech G logo on the mic's band, but it features a hood that lets you see the color even if the logo is facing away from you.

Read: Logitech Yeti Orb Review

Best Budget Gaming Microphone Alternative

HyperX's second iteration of its budget-friendly SoloCast microphone is pretty impressive for its $60 retail price. This USB condenser mic comes housed in a sleek, solid-feeling chassis with a clever built-in stand that can also be mounted on a standard boom arm. It also features a large tap-to-mute button on the top of the mic, as well as a bright red indicator light that tells you when the mic is muted vs. recording.

It's a pretty straightforward mic, featuring a 14mm electret condenser capsule suspended inside the chassis on its own internal shock mount. It records audio at a high-res 24-bit / 96 kHz bit-depth / sample rate, and features cardioid polar pattern — perfect for recording a single speaker located directly in front of the mic.

It sounds good out of the box, though we did (slightly) prefer the Logitech Yeti Orb's out-of-the-box sound — the SoloCast 2 makes your voice sound full and rounded, but the recording isn't quite as clean as it is on the Yeti Orb.

However, the SoloCast 2's on-mic controls (or, well control) might just give it the push it needs to surpass the Yeti Orb (at least, for some people) — being able to mute the mic with a simple tap instead of having to go through software or whatever video call app you're using is definitely a big advantage.

Read: HyperX SoloCast 2 Review

Best Gaming Microphone for Podcasting

Rode has updated its popular PodMic with USB-C connectivity alongside its traditional XLR connectivity. This makes the PodMic a viable option for most gamers and streamers where the original PodMic wasn't (as XLR microphones can't be plugged directly into a PC).

The PodMic USB is a sturdily-built end-address dynamic mic with a cardioid polar pattern and an integrated swing mount. It features 48 kHz/24-bit recording over its USB-C connections (the XLR connection is, of course, only limited by the audio interface), which is great for chatting and streaming.

While the PodMic USB's USB-connectivity adds convenience to this mic, it's still not the most convenient mic for new streamers to pick up, as it doesn't come with a stand — and you will need a stand. Instead, it comes with a swing mount that can be attached to a stand (or, more likely, a boom arm).

And it's a heavy mic — it weighs 1.9 pounds (900g), so you'll need a pretty sturdy stand or boom arm. It also comes with a removable foam pop shield and an extra-long 9.8-foot (3m) USB-C to USB-C cable. You'll need to supply your own XLR cable.

The microphone features an internal pop filter and produces clean, warm vocals thanks to its end-address design and Rode's incorporated Revolution Preamp technology. It's the perfect mic for podcasting, as it offers that perfect proximity effect that every podcaster tends to (over) use.

In addition to the USB-C and XLR ports, the PodMic USB also has a 3.5mm headphone jack and an on-mic volume wheel for zero-latency monitoring.

Read: Rode PodMic USB Review

Other Gaming Mics We Tested

Elgato Wave Neo

Elgato's stylish, budget-friendly Neo lineup of peripherals is designed to be plug-and-play, and the Wave Neo is a simple, standalone USB gaming mic with a sensitive tap-to-mute button, metal desktop stand, and an interchangeable pop filter.

It's a small, lightweight, and easy-to-use condenser mic with a cardioid polar pattern that records audio at a maximum sample rate of 96 kHz / 24-bit.

While you won't find hi-res audio like that on most budget mics (the Neo retails for just $89.99), this isn't really the mic I would recommend recording hi-res audio on in the first place. The Wave Neo makes you sound decent out of the box — vocals are warm and crisp — but don't really stand out aside from that. Also, the mute button on the front of the mic is far too sensitive, and the stand, while solid (it is made of metal) is still somehow pretty wobbly.

The Wave Neo is a nice-looking plug-and-play microphone, but there are better (and cheaper) budget options.

Read: Elgato Wave Neo Review

How We Test Gaming Mics

First, we inspect each mic's build quality, which takes into account size, weight, and the materials used. We consider the mic's overall design, including general aesthetic, on-mic controls (mute, gain, etc.), and whether it has a headphone jack for direct monitoring.

We also take a look at accessories, which should include a desktop mount and an adapter for attaching the mic to a boom arm. We look for sturdy, adjustable desktop stands and built-in shock mounts and pop filters.

We then use the mic in a variety of situations to assess performance, including voice chatting over several standard meeting/chat apps (Google Voice, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Discord), recording vocals, music, and silence via Microsoft's Sound Recorder app, and using the mic in virtual routing environments such as Rode's UNIFY software and SteelSeries' Sonar app.

We test each mic's ability to cancel out background noises using a variety of noises: typing (we test with both linear and clicky switches), fans, music, dogs barking, and general chatter. We also test each mic's mute feature (if applicable), to see if muting/unmuting the mic makes noise.

We first run our tests without installing software (unless a firmware update is critical) to see how the mic runs as a plug-and-play device. Then we install any bundled software and take a look at what settings (e.g. noise cancellation, EQ, etc.) can be changed.

We run our tests again with the software running to determine how well the mic can sound if you take the time to set it up. We think it's safe to assume that the majority of users looking at standalone USB gaming mics are going to use them with the software, so post-production effects and software tweaks do impact the final score.

Quick Shopping Tips

🎙Polar Pattern: The polar pattern describes the area around a mic where it picks up noise. Some gaming mics offer more than one polar pattern.

🎙Cardioid: The most common polar pattern; best suited for recording one person's vocals. Cardioid mics create a narrow cone around one side — the mic only picks up sound from that cone, blocking out the rest. Variations such as supercardioid or the more extreme hypercardioid pick up sound using even narrower cones.

🎙Bidirectional: Has two fields of polarity — one on either side of the mic. This is better for recording two voices simultaneously, though it's always better to use separate mics to record multiple voices, if possible.

🎙Omnidirectional: The opposite of cardioid — this polar pattern picks up sound from all directions, and is best for capturing room noise and ambient sounds such as reverb from a loud instrument. This isn't the best polar pattern for a gaming mic, but it can be used to record multiple voices in close proximity, if you're in a pinch.

🎙USB Mic or XLR Mic: USB-based gaming mics are not the only option for the streamer, competitive gamer, or home recording enthusiast who happens to play some Fortnite on the side. The other option is an XLR-based studio mic, which requires an audio interface. When used properly, studio mics offer higher quality and more versatile recordings, but don't have an ADC, a built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC), or built-in noise suppression.

🎙Inline Monitoring: Many gaming microphones offer inline monitoring via a built-in headphone jack, which lets you hear the raw audio, lag-free, directly from the mic. Inline monitoring lets you hear exactly how you sound, so you don't end up accidentally shouting to be heard over background noise that's only on your end.

🎙Frequency Response Range: This tells you the lowest- and highest-pitched sounds the microphone membrane is capable of picking up. The baseline range for a decent mic is 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz — the limits of human hearing.

Some mics go beyond this, and while this may seem unnecessary because you can't hear the extra details they pick up, you can "feel" subharmonics within the low-end frequencies. (The same goes for the other end of the spectrum — you can't hear 22,000 Hz unless you're a Pomeranian, but you can "feel" the extra harmonic details in the high-end tones your ear does pick up.)

This is going to be more important for things like music recording than it is for streaming or podcasting, for obvious reasons.

Savings on the Best Gaming Microphones

Whether you're shopping for one of the best gaming microphones on our list above or a similar model, you may find savings by checking out our lists of Razer promo codes, Newegg promo codes or Best Buy promo codes.

In a recent video, YouTuber EposVox reports that YouTube is finally rolling out AV1 live-streaming support to the platform, with the tech currently in a beta. AV1 will provide YouTube live streams with a substantial increase in video quality, and allow users to stream at up to 4K 60FPS with Twitch-limited bitrates. EposVox was able to get early access to a development build of OBS 29.1 to check out YouTube's live streaming AV1 capabilities.

The newest addition to the AV1 rollout is YouTube live streaming support with AV1. YouTube just rolled out beta support for a new video live-streaming standard known as Enhanced RTMP, which will allow streamers to utilize several of the latest video codecs, including AV1, VP9, and HEVC (H.265) to live stream videos to YouTube.

EposVox was able to test drive Enhanced RTMP, with a development build of OBS 21.9 to stream AV1 gaming content to YouTube directly. According to EposVox, the quality difference is night and day compared to H.264. The quality jump with AV1, allowed him to drive higher quality video to his live stream, and remove pixelation altogether.

Just for perspective on how powerful AV1 is, EposVox was able to run an AV1 1440P 60FPS live stream of Halo Infinite at 500kbps - a bitrate 15x lower than the Twitch limit, and the stream was still perfectly watchable.

For normal use cases, EposVox found that 8mbps was the sweet spot for 1440P 60FPS, and around 15mbps for 1440P 60FPS. For a perfectly good-looking live stream with none or close to no pixelization. For users that still want to stream 1080P video, all you'll need is a 4MBps bitrate to achieve the same result. This is a night and day difference to H.264 where 8Mbps was about the minimum you want for a high-quality 1080P 60FPS video stream, and even in this situation, pixelation is still very likely to occur with a lot of streams.

AV1 represents the biggest jump in video quality and performance in a decade. AV1 is the latest-generation open-source codec, that has garnered massive support from many industry tech giants to supersede older standards such as H.264. The media codec is substantially more capable than H.264, and has the capability of running up to 4K 60FPS streams at similar bitrates to H.264 1080P video.

Development has been slow, with AV1 originally being founded in 2015. But after 5 years of development, AV1 is now in a functional state, with all major GPU manufacturers and several major video platforms already supporting AV1 video playback. YouTube is one of these platforms and already supports AV1 video playback and AV1 uploads. (In fact, Discord already supports limited AV1 live streaming.)

The only side-effect of YouTube's implementation is that videos will still get transcoded to VP9. This means AV1 live streams will be re-coded to YouTube's VP9 codec. VP9 is known to be of slightly lesser quality but it supports far more GPU hardware. Thankfully this isn't a big deal, since transcoding doesn't take away much from AV1's encoding capabilities, and video quality remains exceptionally good.

We don't know exactly when AV1 live streaming will roll out officially across the entire YouTube platform, but it will probably be soon since the roll-out is already in beta. OBS isn't far behind either, with a new version that is being developed right now that will support YouTube's new AV1 live stream standard (Enhanced RTMP).

If you want to get ready for AV1 live streaming support, all you need is either a capable multi-core CPU (for software-based AV1 encoding) or purchase a new RTX 40 series, RX 7000 series, or Intel A-series Arc Alchemist graphics card to live stream AV1 to YouTube in the future.

This week, the live-streamed broadcast on the Intel Insiders Community Discord channel highlighted a project with Intel Arc Graphics cards and LEGO. The show, a recording of which is now available to watch on Twitch, featured Zach Hill, an Arc Graphics tech marketing exec and LEGO fan. Hill has been working in his spare time for the last six months on creating a 1:1 or life-size model of the Intel Arc A750 graphics card using the huge library of LEGO bricks available in software.

The project aims to create a replica of the A750 as close as possible using available LEGO bricks. For this purpose, Hill uses BrickLink Studio, a free software package (LEGO Group owned) which allows 3D building and rendering of projects using the full gamut of LEGO bricks still produced. According to Hill’s estimation, the project, as you see it in the pictures throughout this article, is 80% finished. If you watch the video you can see and hear areas of the project which Hill still thinks require attention. One of the obvious non-LEGO issues, though, is that the sticker needs changing from Arc A770 to A750.

Hill and regular host Bob Duffy discussed whether the life-size graphics card could have LEDs or even RGB. A brief answer to this question is that there are some LEGO lighting kits available (previously released in a LEGO blacksmith and a lighthouse kit, for example), but in making the graphics card model a 1:1 size, there really wasn’t room to include them. This was also partly why Hill targeted the A750 for his LEGO design project – it doesn’t need LEDs to be realistic, just some silver accent LEGO bricks.

Non-LEGO fans will probably learn a lot about these creative building bricks from watching the video. Some of the things we picked up included a pair of new acronyms; AFOL (Adult Fans Of Lego), and SNOT (Studs Not On Top). The Arc A750 design uses quite a lot of bricks which are SNOTs.

On the topic of making these LEGO Intel Arc A750 graphics cards widely available after the project is completed, things seemed rather uncertain. It was highlighted that the LEGO Ideas Set program could get an official kit mass-produced with 10,000 votes behind it. However, Hill didn’t seem keen on this idea, perhaps because the project isn’t yet finished to his satisfaction. Also he seemed to direct those interested towards the future possibility of the BrickLink Studio design being made available and users sourcing / buying their own bricks using the catalog associated with the model.

If someone were to build the project in its present state, Hill reckons the 500 to 6000 bricks needed would cost about $120 or more. That's almost half the price of a real working Intel Arc A750 GPU.

Sometimes a small glitch causes major problems. Today an email verification glitch at Nvidia's services blocked users access to the company's GeForce Experience and GeForce Now services, as discovered by PiunikaWeb.com. As a result, some users now cannot update their drivers or use the cloud gaming service. Nvidia is attempting to fix the issue. 

Nvidia's GeForce Experience and GeForce Now services require users to receive an email verification code when they log in. But the email verification is currently down at Nvidia, which is why users who need to login cannot do so. This causes troubles as people who need to update their drivers using GeForce Experience now have to download them manually, which may be tricky for some people. Meanwhile, GeForce Now gamers cannot use the service at all.  

"Our team is investigating an issue which is preventing NVIDIA verification emails from being sent," a statement by Nvidia Customer Support reads. "We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause and will share updates as they become available." 

Nvidia has not provided timeframe when the issue will be resolved, but those who use GeForce Experience and GeForce Now are advised not to log out from their services.

Gamers have criticized Nvidia for requiring a login to use certain features, and that argument becomes stronger when  the verification system doesn't work, even for a little while. Meanwhile, Steam also requires a code sent to email to login to the software, so Nvidia's GeForce Now is not alone.

Since this is how Nvidia's accounts work, the same procedure applies to GeForce Experience, a program that manages hardware settings, optimizes performance, personalizes gameplay, captures and shares videos and screenshots, and shares game moments to YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook. Among other things, this software can automatically update drivers. The problem is that if you cannot login to your Nvidia account, you lose all those benefits.

The best part about streaming is talking to your viewers. You can talk to them via game chat, Discord, or text chat, but text chat is the most common way to connect with viewers. This is where inside jokes are born, nicknames, and bonds. You can’t build those bonds if you’re not looking at the chat and responding to viewers.

Once your Twitch account is linked you’ll be able to view chat in OBS. There is a way to add chat into your overlay on OBS. This is what all the pros do, i.e. me! I love having a chat on my stream. It helps me when I go back and watch the VODs to see what the chat was like, how active it was, and if I missed anything. This can be done for Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube.

• Connecting with your viewers is easy via OBS. Popular streamers link their chats to their live shows.
• Linking Facebook, Discord and Twitch chat to OBS is a simple and effective means to interact with viewers.
• Text, emoji's and memes can be shared live via the chat.

Before tackling this project it would be prudent to take a look at our How To Record in OBS and How to Stream on Twitch guides. Those two guides will act as a foundation for building the best stream for your viewers.

Here is how to add chat to your stream using Facebook, Twitch (using StreamLabs and StreamElements and YouTube.

• Grab a great webcam from Amazon.

How To Add Facebook Chat to Your Stream

1. Open your Facebook Like Page.

2. Click on the Meta Business Suite on the left hand side of the page.

3. From the More menu, select Go Live.

4. Toggle the test broadcast button and then click Select to start a live broadcast.The test broadcast button enables you to check your configuration before going live.

5. From the Settings menu select Comments.

6. Pop out the comments module.

7. From the new Comments tab, copy the URL.

8. Open OBS.

9. For your chosen scene, go Sources and add a Browser source called Facebook Chat.

10. Replace the URL with the Chat URL.

11. Login to your Facebook account from the Browser window in OBS. Use the Interact button located above Sources and enter your login.

12. The chat window is now ready for use. Every time you start a live, refresh your URL comments Browser source. And you’re all set.

How To Add Twitch Chat To Your Stream

To add chat overlay to your Twitch stream you’re going to need to login into Streamlabs or StreamElements.

Using Streamlabs:

1. Go to the StreamLabs website.

2. Click on Widgets >> Chat Box.

3. Log in to your account.

4. Search for chatbox via the search bar and select Chat Box Widget Settings.

5. Copy the Widget URL. Remember, do not share this URL with anyone. It is linked to your account.

6. Open OBS and select the scene for use with the chat box. Here we are using the Browser scene for the chat box.

7. Under Sources, add a Browser source.

8. Rename the source to Twitch Chat Box and click OK.

9. Replace the URL with the Chat URL and click OK to save. The width and height of the chat box can also be tweaked to provide the best possible layout.

10. Click on Start Streaming to stream your show with an embedded chat window.

Using StreamElements

StreamElements Chat Box is a bit more involved because you need to select an overlay. Then you’ll have a separate customizable chat feature.

1. Open a browser to the StreamElements website and login.

2. Select Streaming Tools >> Overlays from the StreamElements page Menu.

3. Create a new overlay.

4. Set the overlay resolution to match that of your stream and click Start. In our case we chose 1080p.

5. Name the overlay “Chat Window” and click Save.

6. Click on Add Widget.

7. Go to Stream tools and select “Your Stream’s Chat”. This will place a black chat window on the screen. We can move the window around for the best layout.

8. Copy the URL link via the icon in the top right corner.

9. Open OBS and select the scene for use with the chat box. Here we are using the Browser scene for the chat box.

10. Under Sources, add a Browser source.

11. Rename the source to Twitch Chat Box and click OK.

12. Replace the URL with the Chat URL and click OK to save. The width and height of the chat box can also be tweaked to provide the best possible layout.

13. Click on Start Streaming to stream your show with an embedded chat window.

Using YouTube

YouTube’s chat integration with OBS is the easiest of them all.

1. Open a browser to YouTube.

2. Go to your YouTube channel, the icon is in the top right corner.

3. Select Go Live via the Camera icon’s dropdown menu.

4. Select Popout Chat in the three dots menu in the top right.

5. Copy the URL of the popup chat window.

6. Open OBS and select the scene for use with the chat box. Here we are using the Browser scene for the chat box.

7. Under Sources, add a Browser source.

8. Rename the source to YouTube Chat Box and click OK.

9. Replace the URL with the Chat URL and click OK to save. The width and height of the the chat box can also be tweaked to provide the best possible layout.

10. Click on Start Streaming to stream your show with an embedded chat window.

Twitch is the second most-watched streaming platform, and it’s not just for gamers. In the third quarter of 2022 Twitch averaged 5.71 billion watched hours. So it’s natural to wonder, “How do I stream to Twitch?”

The good news is that it’s not hard to learn how to stream on Twitch, and there are many tools to simplify this process. One of the best tools is OBS, the Open Broadcaster System software that enables you to stream to any site that uses RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol). Using RTMP is how you connect your gameplay to Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Cosmetic tools, such as Streamlabs, Stream Elements, and Lightstream are all tools that help you make your stream look nice and have the basic functions of OBS.  

In this how-to, we will learn how to use OBS to stream our gaming sessions directly to Twitch. Before following this how-to, check out our getting started with OBS guide where we go through the basics of setting up this powerful streaming tool. That guide will show you how to download and install OBS, as well as how to work with audio and video sources.

1. Click on Settings.

2. Select Stream and then select Twitch from the Service dropdown menu.

3. Click Connect Account.

4. Log in to your Twitch account.

5. Authorize OBS to connect to Twitch. This will enable OBS to stream directly to Twitch.

6. Select None and then click Apply and OK. After going through the authentication process, a few extra features will pop up. BetterTTV and FrankerFaceZ are the emotes used on Twitch to enhance your stream. BetterTTV is a subscription service that gives you access to all the emotes, while FrankerZ is an extension that lets you save your favorite emotes and see other people’s emotes. The Enable Bandwidth Test Mode enables users to test a stream before going live. This isn’t essential and it can be used at your leisure.

7. Drag the Twitch Chat and Stream Information windows into place. The stream information is where streamers change the stream title, add tags, and edit the Go Live Notification message. The notification populates mobile phones and desktop notifications with personalized messages anytime you go live. This is a preference move. If you like floating windows, leave them out. For the rest of us who were told to clean our room and actually enjoyed it, we’ll be popping our windows into place.

8. Click on the Scene. Scenes are sets of sources grouped together. An example would be one scene for a main camera, another scene for an alternative camera angle, and a further scene with an application window open.

9. Click on + to add a source. There are a few different sources that can be added. The main ones we’re concerned with are Video Capture Card and Window Capture. Video Capture card refers to a webcam, DSLR, or any type of camera input. It can also be used to add a capture card if you’re streaming games from your console to OBS. Window Capture is to capture the game that you are playing on the same PC as OBS. For example, if you open Rainbow Six Siege, it’ll open in its own window. Then you’d add that window via Window Capture to OBS so your stream can see the gameplay.

10. Select Video Capture Source and in the new dialog box click set then name to “cam” and click OK.

11. Under the Devices dropdown, Select the camera you’d like to use and Click OK. On my Mac I have the default FaceTime cam. If your setup consists of more than one camera, such as a webcam and a DSLR, you’ll see those options populate under devices and you can select the one you’d like to use.

12. Grab the corners of the source to expand or shrink to position your camera. We can tweak the size and position of the camera source. This is useful for positioning our camera feed on top of the game footage, and vice versa.

13. Start your game on your PC or turn on your console. Games on the same PC as OBS will use Window Capture, while consoles will need to be connected via a video capture card and a Video Capture device in OBS. 

Extra step for macOS users: Don’t forget to change the preference to allow OBS to record your screen. You’ll see a prompt that takes you right to the System Preferences. 

14. PC Gamers, from Sources click on Add Window Capture source.

15. Name the source Gameplay and click OK.

16. Right Click on the Source, select Edit Transform. This menu will enable us to have precise control of the position and size of the source.

17. Under Size, set the resolution to 1280 x 720 and click close. If you require a different resolution, change this to suit your requirements.

You’re now ready to stream your gaming session directly to Twitch. Now you have the basics to get you started. OBS is a powerful tool, and with it you have the power of a broadcast studio on your desktop. You can mix live video, audio, and images along with custom graphics to really make your stream stand out from the crowd.

Learning how to use OBS (Open Broadcaster System) isn't only for streamers. OBS can do a lot more than stream live content. It is a virtual broadcast studio capable of mixing audio and video elements together. It's easy to use and with it we can create an instructional video,  talk, or the next viral sensation. Best of all, it's free software. With OBS you can record or stream your gaming sessions, your screen, or yourself.

At first OBS can be a bit confusing to use. Even with its recent updates the user interface still has a learning curve. But underneath this interface is a user-friendly application that, unlike the Etch A Sketch I never got for Christmas, has a ton of features beyond streaming. I’ve created YouTube videos with OBS, MP3 recordings, and I’ve even made voice over tracks for my demo reel.

The first set of instructions is for recording video.

In this how-to we will learn the basics of the OBS user interface with the end goal being to create our own video that mixes audio and video elements into one recording.

Setting Up OBS

OBS is a free download and it has clients for Windows macOS and Linux. Our goal here is to download the application and prepare our work environment before we record any content.

1. Download and install OBS for your operating system.

2. From the Start menu, open OBS.

The OBS user interface is broken down into sections, each has a specific role.

1. The output. Here is where the video output is displayed. It can be a mixture of webcam, game footage, text overlays etc. All of these elements are visible in the final video.

2. Scenes. Scenes are sets of sources grouped together. An example would be one scene for a piece to camera, another scene for an alternative camera angle and a further scene with an application window open.

3. Sources. Sources are the individual elements that make up a scene. We can mix different audio and video sources such as external game capture devices, application windows, microphones and instruments. Sources can be placed on top of one another by moving the order in the Sources list. This enables us to add graphics and video on top of our camera feed.

4. Audio Mixer. The audio mixer shows a live reading of each enabled audio device. We can monitor the levels of each device, tweaking them with the slider to ensure that the audio is clear.

5. Scene Transitions. When moving between scenes, a short fade is applied to ease the viewer. The duration can be changed, or completely replaced with a quick cut.

6. Controls. Here we can start / stop a recording / streaming session, tweak our settings and in advanced use we can create a virtual camera that mixes the OBS output for use in livestreams.

Setting the Output Folder

It is good practice to save your output to a certain location. In OBS we can do this via the Settings menu.

1. Under Controls, click on Settings. Alternatively, you can go to File > Settings.

2. Under Recording Path, click on Browse and set the folder to save your output.

3. In the Output menu, click on the Recording Format menu to change the Recording Format. This will change the format of the video file. Changing the Recording Format will bring up a warning — if you know how to navigate and convert different formats, you can play around with test recordings to determine the best one for your situation. Otherwise, go with MP4, which is the standard format for video and audio.  Click OK to close the Settings dialog.

Setting Up to Record

With the configuration complete, we can now start adding sources to our scene. Sources are a mix of audio and video inputs. We will start by adding a video source and then add an audio source.

1. In the sources section, click on “+” to see a drop-down menu of source types. Alternatively, right-click in the sources section and select “Add”. OBS has many different sources. We can show images, slideshows, embedded videos (via VLC), add basic text and show application windows directly in a scene. Any video / image sources can be resized to show multiple sources in one scene, which is useful for video tutorials.

2. From the list select Video Capture Device. 

3. Create a new video capture device and rename it accordingly. Click OK to save.

4. In the new dialog, under Devices, select the camera and Click OK. Your setup may consist of more than one camera. They will appear as options in the dropdown list. OBS allows you to add more than one video capture device to a scene. Camera settings (such as focus, exposure, white balance) can be changed by clicking on Configure Video, but modern day webcams are able to auto-adjust for the best image quality.

5. In the output window, grab the corners of the source to resize and reposition your camera. We can tweak the layout and size to exactly how we would like it to look. 

6. For a video source with specific dimensions, right Click on the Source and select Transform >> Edit Transform.

7. Change the size to 1280x720, or to a resolution that suits your requirements. Click Close to save. This menu gives us precise control of the position, size and alignment of the video source.

We have a video source and now we need to add an audio source to our recording. 

1. In the sources section, click on “+” to see a drop-down menu of source types. Alternatively right click in the sources section and select “Add”. Multiple audio sources can be added to a scene, for example a microphone and electric guitar can be mixed. Just pay careful attention to their volume levels in the mixer. Vocals should be clear against any background instruments.

2. From the list, select Audio Input Capture.

3. Create a new audio input capture device and rename it accordingly. Click OK to save.

4. In the new dialog, under Devices, select the audio input and Click OK.

5. Tweak the volume settings for the audio input device. Keep the levels out of the red as clipping (distortion) will occur. Aim for a value in the low yellow range. This will ensure consistent audio levels for the listener.

Recording a Video

Now it’s time to hit record!

1. Click on Record, found in the Controls section. If you need to pause, click on the pause button to the right of Stop Recording.

2. Record 30 seconds of video and then click Stop Recording.

3. Go to the folder containing the video and play it using your preferred media player. Check the video for correct framing and sound levels. Ideally, the presenter should be in the center of the frame, and audio levels should be comfortable for viewers listening at half volume. If that is not the case, go back into OBS and reframe the shot, and tweak the audio levels until you find the right mix.

Wrapping Up

OBS is a great tool to experiment with. We can use it to add “lower thirds” (graphics to add extra information, such as news tickers) or design elements such as logos and animated graphics. Adding a background to a video is as simple as adding an image source and using the sources list to place it behind you.

Now that you know how to record in OBS, go forth and make great content! May the bandwidth be with you.

If you've listened to a podcast or watched a Twitch stream you very well may have seen or heard the broadcaster using the Shure SM7B XLR microphone. It's a very popular choice for many streaming setups and is a fairly premium product commanding a high price, which is why it's always good to highlight when a saving can be made. The Shure SM7B is available for $359 at Amazon, which saves $40 off of its usual asking price when checked on the Camelizer.

If you're in the market for a powerful gaming laptop that won't break the bank, then this deal featuring the MSI Katana GF66 could be the one for you. With the top-tier Intel Core i9 12900H CPU and Nvidia's RTX 3070 Ti, this laptop is more than capable of playing all of the latest games on very high settings. You can pick up the MSI Katana GF66 for $1,249 at Walmart. 

Building a new computer? If you're considering going on the AM5 platform then you can get the latest AMD Ryzen 5 7600X for just $239 at Newegg when using the promo code DLCBZ647B. See our review of the Ryzen 5 7600X for more information.

More great Real Deals below.

TL;DR — Today’s Best Deals

• Shure SM7B XLR Studio Mic: was $399, now $359 at Amazon
• MSI Katana GF66 (12900H/3070 Ti): was $1,899, now $1,249 at Walmart
• AMD Ryzen 5 7600X: was $299, now $239 at Newegg with promo code
• XPG 32GB Lancer RGB DDR5 (6000MHz): was $329, now $189 at B&H
• Razer Viper Ultimate: was $149, now $59 at Best Buy

Today’s best deals in detail

Looking for more deals?

• Best deals on tech & PC hardware
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When it comes to macro keyboards, Elgato’s Stream Decks usually come to mind. For many streamers, the highly-customizable input devices, complete with full-color screens under each key, are critical tools that allow them to perform complex actions in OBS  in just one step.

Loupedeck’s line of macro devices take the user well beyond streaming. Don’t get me wrong: Any macro keyboard, even a home-made Raspberry Pi one, can be used for other purposes than streaming — but how many have features integrated for video, photo, or even animation editing? Loupedeck’s consoles are built to work with Twitch, Adobe Suite, Ableton, Twitter, OBS, and music software such as Spotify right out of the box. 

I took a look at the three consoles in Loupedeck’s current lineup: the Loupedeck Live ($269), the Loupedeck+ ($279), and the Loupedeck CT ($549). Loupedeck also recently announced the upcoming Loupedeck S ($180), which is currently fully-funded on Indiegogo and is set to start shipping in the fall. Razer also recently announced its own branded version of the Loupedeck Live which is identical to the original but has Razer branding. 

Loupedeck Live

The Loupedeck Live ($269) is the smallest of Loupedeck’s current lineup and is geared toward streamers and content creators. It has 12 programmable touchscreen buttons, six tactile knobs, and eight tactile buttons (one of which is the dedicated home/back button). I don't know what it is about this black matte finish but dust LOVES it. Luckily there is a lock mode that turns off the touch screen and button functions so you can wipe off the console.

Just like the Loupedeck Live has a lock mode there is something called a Dynamic Mode where the buttons on the touchscreen will switch depending on the application running. I can have Photoshop and Premiere open at the same time, which is kind of overkill but sometimes necessary. My touchscreen buttons will change from photo editing to video editing just by clicking on Premiere. 

The Live has integrations with Twitch that can start a commercial break, welcome a new subscriber with a special sound effect, or simply stop and start your stream. Lined with three knobs on each side and eight round buttons at the bottom, the Live is suited to control volume, skip songs, and scrub through a video. 

It’s great for keyboard shortcuts in any program. For example, buttons can be created for copy and paste or activating full screen. The knobs on the side are called Rotating Dials. They have two functions, rotating infinitely with built-in notches and pressing in. This creates 12 functions out of these six knobs. The eight round buttons at the bottom are called the Workspace buttons, with the first one being the Home or Back button. These buttons help navigate between Workspaces or pages - which are a list of buttons that show on the face of the Loupedeck. There are two ways to move between pages; swiping or by pressing the round buttons to move on to the next page. 

This is the smallest of the Loupedeck consoles but still packs a lot of configuration power. With over 70 native programs supported in software, the  Live is great for any level of streamer, producer, programmer, or computer user — novice to intermediate. This is a piece of hardware that can grow with you if you’re just starting out. As an advanced streamer, I enjoy using the Loupedeck Live to try out new commands, engage viewers, and help streamline the process of streaming. It doesn’t take up too much room on your desk, measuring 5.9 inches wide by 4.3 inches deep, and 1.18 inches thick. It weighs about half a pound. 

The Loupedeck Live really helped me to get organized and categorize my movements and the processes I use to run one of my game streams. I can create one page, or a set of buttons,  for the beginning of my stream, swipe to the next page for the middle of my stream, and then go to a third page to wrap up my stream. And I can create duplicate buttons so I don’t have to switch back and forth between pages.

Once a live stream is over I can move on to post-stream activities, such as opening Adobe Premiere to start working on editing the footage. With the help of the Loupedeck Live’s Dynamic Mode, my pages or workspace change when I open up different applications. If I’d rather wind down instead of getting right to work, I can set up a page for that. I can create different profiles and call them things such as “Stream Junae Profile,” “Post-Stream Junae Profile,” or “Leisure Junae Profile.” And have everything I need within those profiles such as Spotify controls and buttons to launch my favorite games or open productivity apps such as Microsoft Word to write articles — it’s very intuitive.

Loupedeck CT

The $549 Loupedeck CT is made for creative professionals who do serious video or audio editing. The Loupedeck CT is the largest of the Loupedeck consoles (as opposed to the Loupedeck+, which is more of a deck than a console), measuring 6.2 inches wide by 5.9 inches deep and 1.18 inches thick. The Loupedeck CT has the same buttons and knobs as the Loupedeck Live, and adds a bottom section which features a large dial and 12 square tactile buttons.

The Loupedeck CT is bulkier than the Live, tipping the scales at 0.8 pounds, but I wouldn’t change a thing. The black matte finish attracts quite a bit of dust, but is also very easy to clean. The separation of the touchscreen buttons and tactile buttons so I don’t click a function I didn’t intend to use is a great design.

The dial is definitely an upgrade. Every button on the Loupedeck CT has some kind of feedback — haptic or tactile — except for the dial. Baby, when I tell you turning this dial is like spreading whipped butter on a piece of bread with sugar and cinnamon, believe it! It’s so smooth! The dial makes scrolling through web pages, scrubbing through editing timelines, selecting colors, and adjusting highlights and shadows a very smooth, enjoyable process.

The dial and buttons — like everything on Loupedeck’s consoles — are customizable. Adding these buttons relieves the need to create a shortcut function. The 12 buttons include inputs from a keypad, such as up/down, Fn, and Ctrl — no more pressing Ctrl +Z like a caveman! The buttons also include shortcuts such as Undo and Save.

Every button, knob, and dial on the Loupedeck CT is customizable and works fabulously in Dynamic Mode. Dynamic Mode allows you to switch seamlessly between programs and continue to use the Loupedeck CT without interrupting your workflow. For example, I can be using OBS and switch to Ableton, and the buttons and functions on the Loupedeck CT will change with me. If there are multiple people using the Loupedeck CT, you can create individual profiles for each person — or you can create profiles for different work and lifestyle modes.

Some macro keypads limit you to three pages of buttons, but the Loupedeck CT lets you create up to 10 pages of buttons (12 buttons per page). That’s over 100 button functions available on one profile.

It doesn’t matter how many (or few) buttons you have, the Loupedeck CT’s dial is definitely its stand-out feature. I use the dial in photo and video editing to get precise measurements that are easily overshot on a mouse, or that take too long on a keyboard. For example, if I want to turn up an effect to an exact number — such as turning the vignette to 62 — it’s difficult on a mouse, but I can use the dial to get there without having to make precise mouse movements.

The Loupedeck CT does everything the Loupedeck Live does — it’s easy to program it to work with streaming platforms such as OBS and Twitch, and to get it to play SFX for streaming without having to program them in StreamElements. I especially like that the Fn buttons can be placed on the keyboard, as this means less programming.

The Loupedeck CT lets me do all the things I need to do during a stream, and easily integrates with Twitch, Streamlabs, and OBS. But it’s in post-stream content editing where the Loupedeck CT’s jog dial really stands out. Because the Loupedeck CT is larger, heavier, and has a dial — which is potentially easier to damage — I wouldn’t feel comfortable traveling with this bulkier console. But if you can afford it the Loupedeck CT’s versatility makes it a powerful streaming companion.

Loupedeck+

If you want the feel of a professional editing deck like the ones they use in studios, get a Loupedeck+. With more than 40 buttons, knobs, and switches, the Loupedeck+ is largest in the series, measuring 17.8 inches wide, 8.2 inches deep, and 1.9 inches thick, and weighing about 1.5 pounds — it’s roughly the size of a typical PC keyboard.

Unlike the Loupedeck Live and Loupedeck CT consoles, the Loupedeck+ doesn’t have a screen. Instead, it’s got buttons on buttons on buttons, mixed with knobs, dials, and switches — this is an editing machine that editors and producers will love! The Loupedeck+ is advanced enough to do all of the intricate things you need to do in photo, video, and audio editing, and it’s simple enough for a beginner to use.

The press in functions on dials reset their values back to zero — useful if you’re trying to take something such as color saturation back to its default. The color switches make it easier to adjust the greens, blues, and reds for photo and video color correction. The dials make it easier to accurately control the levels of functions rather than trying to guess by looking at sliding bars.

Thanks to notches in each knob, values don’t increase too quickly. Although the buttons on the Loupedeck+ have printed labels such as Temperature, Tint, and Saturation, they’re still customizable — you can overwrite the default functions to perform whatever functions you like, though you’ll have to remember what you changed them to (or, I suppose, you could re-label them).

The Loupedeck+ has built-in level buttons that you can use for different levels of editing. For example, Level 1 could be the default settings button, Level 2 could be all color gradients, and Level 3 could be for adding extra effects. Again, each button is still completely customizable.

If you’re new to editing photos and videos, the Loupedeck+ might be overwhelming at first. I’m not new to editing, but I don’t think the Loupedeck+ is an ideal console for me because while I like to edit, I also like to stream and have shortcuts on my console that open up regular applications such as email. The Loupedeck+ is highly programmable, just like the other Loupedeck consoles, but it’s definitely designed for editing photos and videos. It’s the cheapest of the three Loupedeck consoles, but it’s still $249 — so you should only choose this console if you really like the layout (and don’t mind skipping a screen).

Which Loupedeck is the Best Choice for You?

If you do any streaming or want the deck for general productivity work, the Loupedeck Live and CT are for you. The Loupedeck+ is mainly for professional photo and video editors who will use its dials for the purposes they have printed on them.

The Loupedeck Live and the Loupedeck CT integrate with with Twitch, Adobe Suite, OBS, Spotify, and about 70 other programs, while the Loupedeck+ supports Lightroom Classic, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop with Camera Raw, After Effects, Audition, and Aurora HDR. They’re all highly customizable and can control volume and launch any shortcuts you want. If you want to create a shortcut that a program doesn't have, you can use the Loupedeck software to create a custom command.

The consoles also have the ability to save various profiles, either for different use cases or different users. The touch screen ability on the Loupedeck Live and CT allow you to swipe between screens or select actions, such as opening OBS. All models have Dynamic Mode, which means they can switch button functions and screens automatically as you move between different programs (e.g. OBS and Photoshop).

Another satisfying feature of the Loupedeck consoles is the haptic feedback you get as you touch the screen, rotate the buttons, or press in the buttons. The dial on the CT rotates smoothly, with no notches, no feedback, and no push in feature. The dial also has a mini LED screen so it’s unexpected to have multiple functions. Even the Control Dial on the Loupedeck+ has notches and pushes in creating another button function. On both the Loupedeck CT and Loupedeck+ the square buttons seem to contain blue switches.

For streamers and general productivity users, the Loupedeck Live is the best choice, while the Loupedeck CT is best for streamers who also do some video editing. The Loupedeck+ is for heavy video and photo editors.

I prefer the Loupedeck CT, as a content creator who streams and also dabbles in video editing. I’m mainly a writer, so I can setup profiles to streamline my writing process — the same goes for video editing. I’m an intermediate-level video editor, so the programmable Loupedeck shortcuts help a lot as I don’t yet have my video editing app’s menu and keyboard shortcuts memorized.

The Loupedeck consoles don’t cut my writing time in half, but they do cut down on how much time I spend digging through software menus, which is very nice. The Loupedeck+ is a different beast that’s somewhat above me — I don’t consistently edit photos or videos at that level, but it’s nice to know the options are there if I ever want to go deeper.

We’ve seen a few Raspberry Pi TVs in the past, including this retro TV simulator and The Simpsons-themed TV that plays episodes from the animated sitcom. But this is the first time we’ve seen a Pi-powered TV dedicated to playing live streams from Twitch streamers. Created by a maker named Bob (also known by his handle Rsheldiii), this custom Twitch TV can be programmed to start playing any live stream of choice as soon as it’s active.

The hardware is housed inside a purple, 3D-printed shell resembling the twitch.tv logo. Bob configured the system to play in real-time at full volume when a stream begins. He describes it as a “twitch.tv TV, a twitch.tv TV made to look like twitch.tv that plays twitch.tv on its uh... monitor.”

In the project details, Bob doesn’t specify the exact model of Raspberry Pi used in the project. However, you could recreate it using something as new as a Raspberry Pi 4 or even something smaller like a Raspberry Pi Zero. It would help to use something with built-in Wi-Fi support, but you could use a regular Pi Zero with a USB to Ethernet adapter. Raspberry Pis are notably hard to get ahold of right now, so be sure to check out our guide on where to buy a Raspberry Pi 4 if you’re in the market for a new Pi.

In addition to the 3D printed housing and Raspberry Pi, the project takes advantage of an Elecrow Raspberry Pi monitor. It spans 5-inches across and features an 800 x 480px IPS panel with a built-in speaker. This allows the TV to display the stream and play audio. Power is provided to the system via USB.

The Twitch stream is handled using an application called Streamlink. This can be installed on a Pi running Raspberry Pi OS and requires a bit of configuration to optimize it for a particular stream. You can find details about how to configure Streamlink on the twitch.tv TV project page at GitHub.

If you want to recreate this Raspberry Pi project or make something similar, check out the official GitHub, and be sure to see the demo video shared on YouTube of the TV in action. In the meantime, you can also follow Bob for more cool projects and any future updates on this one.

Being focused initially on PC gaming, Razer cannot ignore such phenomena as game streamers. So the company has gradually built up a lineup of controllers aimed at these live content creators. On Thursday, the company introduced its Razer Stream Controller, enabling streamers to control their programs remotely. Interestingly, to build its Stream Controller, Razer used to design software from Loupedeck.

Razer's Stream Controller is a small box with 12 programmable keys, screens that can activate a software function or a macro, and six tactile analog dials used to control audio or things like zoom in/zoom out. The device measures 151×101.5×30.2 mm, weighs 210 grams (216 grams with a detachable angle stand), and connects to a Windows or macOS-based PC using a USB cable.

The device was developed by Loupedeck (yet it carries Razer's logotype on its front) and runs its proprietary software (perhaps with some customizations for Razer). That software supports not only programs used by game streamers (e.g., OBS, Twitch, vMix, Ecamm Live, etc.), but a bunch of other applications used by content creators, including such programs as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Philips Hue Bridge, and Spotify. Furthermore, Loupedeck has over 70 profiles, plugins & icon packs for several other applications. The software automatically activates profiles for active applications, though it is possible to start a particular profile using numeric keys on the front of the device.

Razer's Stream Controller is the company's direct rival for Corsair's Elgato Stream Deck. However, Razer needs to offer a complete set of products aimed at game streamers, so it has to have a controller which allows software and hardware control of a PC in a bid not to make its clients use hardware from a rival.

Razer's Stream Controller works with Apple's macOS X 10.14 (later) and Microsoft's Windows 10 operating systems. Razer's Stream Controller costs $269.99 in the U.S., just like Loupedeck's Live controller, which has the same design and runs the same software.

Loupedeck has kicked off a crowdfunding campaign for its latest creator control pad, the Loupedeck Live S. The Loupedeck Live S directly competes with the popular Elgato Stream Deck in size, functionality, and pricing, and also has some additional attractive features.

The Elgato Stream Deck MK.2, which currently costs $150 on Amazon, has 15 customizable keys...and that's it.

Straight off the bat you can see the new Loupedeck Live S offers the same array of 15 customizable touch zones, but it has flanked them with tactile buttons and dials. On the left, there are two tactile dials and a tactile button, and on the right there's a trio of tactile buttons. And those tactile buttons aren't just plastic blanks, they're color-codable with built-in RGB lighting.

In its Indiegogo blurb, Loupedeck describes its new offering as perfect for streamers who need to "control the entirety" of their streams from "one easy-to-use interface." Loupedeck highlights the ease and intuit of using dials to control volume levels alongside fast, configurable touch controls.

Software support is important for getting the best out of any control deck: According to Loupedeck, the Live S is ready to work with many popular streaming apps, including Twitch, OBS Studio, Streamlabs, Ecamm, Spotify, Philips Hue, and Voicemod. For content creators, the Live S also includes plugins for apps like Adobe Lightroom Classic, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, and Final Cut Pro. In our Stream Deck review we noted that Adobe app integration was a winning feature for the Loupedeck lineup.

Loupedeck's PC and Mac software claims to offer users "unlimited customization," and there are indeed lots of options. You can customize the display with static or animated icons, and have up to 14 pages of these ready to swipe through. Moreover, screens can be context dependent and switch when you use different apps. You can easily download more plugins, profiles, and icon packs from the Loupedesk marketplace.

The Loupedeck Live S went live on Indiegogo today, and the developers are already one-third of the way funded. As always, it's important to note that Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform, and no product is actually guaranteed; treat any money toward crowdfunding campaigns like investments, not purchases. That said, the developers say the Live S will start shipping in October.

At the time of writing there are still Early Bird options listed at €119 / £101, which is about $127 (the first 100 units at a better price have sold out). Loupedesk says that the retail price of the Live S will be $179 if you want to wait until it's officially released.

There are larger, more varied, and more expensive control panels available if something like the Loupedeck Live S or the Stream Deck don't offer enough features for your needs. And, of course, Raspberry Pi aficionados can ignore these pre-made controllers and build an alternative.

Tune in to The Future Games Show Powered by Mana on Saturday, June 11, to get an up-close look at 40 games and titles developed by leading publishers in the industry. The Future Games Show will be broadcast by our sister site, GamesRadar, across multiple sources so you can choose your flavor with streams available on Facebook, Twitch, Youtube, and Twitter. The show is planned to kick off at 12:00 PDT / 15:00 EDT / 20:00 BST.

Highlights include game showcases, world premieres, exclusive announcements, and interviews with top developers, including Thunderful, Team17, and Amanita Design. In addition, viewers are welcome to indulge in an up-close look at new 2022 titles for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC platforms.

Mana CEO Joe Zhou had this to say, “We’re proud to partner with the Future Games Show - it’s a tremendous opportunity to help promote the things we love and all things gaming during an exciting event that is truly important for the community. We also hope to use this opportunity to let the community know—no matter what games you play, Mana is here to empower you and the future of games.”

It isn’t the first Future Games Show, and it certainly won’t be the last. Content Director of Games at Future Daniel Dawkins explains, “The Future Game Show is GamesRadar’s premiere digital games showcase—it reached over 120 million views across three shows in 2021. The June show will be the second of three shows in 2022, with an additional show planned for GamesCom 2022.”

In addition to the upcoming show, Future invites streamers to apply as official partners for the show. While anyone can stream the show for free, official partners receive access to a unique asset pack and an opportunity to be named an official co-streaming partner at GamesRadar+. Check out the official Streaming Partner form to get started—more details are available for streamers on the official GamesRadar website.

Andorra Telecom, the only ISP in the principality of Andorra, suffered repeated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks during a multi-day Twitch gaming tournament. The DDoS attacks occurred during the scheduled SquidCraft Games tournament in Minecraft, one of the most successful Twitch Rivals tournaments ever broadcast. Eight or more Andorran streamers were eliminated from the Twitch tournament after the second day of attacks due to their repeated disconnects. There is some suspicion that perpetrators planned the DDoS attacks on Andorra Telecom to cheat the Andorran's of their chance to win the $100,000 pot.

The SquidCraft Games was a highly anticipated Twitch streaming event designed to emulate the hit Netflix series called The Squid Game in Minecraft. As noted, it has been a viral game streaming event with a peak viewership of over a million on day two of the event. As per the TV series, this is an elimination game, and in this Twitch event, there is a healthy prize pot of $100,000 to ensure participants would be highly competitive. The event will end on Tuesday.

Ordinary Andorran Internet Users Become Collateral Damage in the SquidCraft Games

A significant portion of the 150 SquidCraft games participants lives in Andorra. Spanish language reports of the event confirm that day one went without a hitch for all players, in terms of fairness. The games "green light, red light," and "hide and seek" ran smoothly to their conclusions. 

The "cookie game" had to be suspended on day two due to a programming glitch. After that, however, the DDoS attack on Andorra Telecom began, and eight or more remaining participants from the principality all had their connections and Twitch streaming cut simultaneously. Unfortunately, the whole of Andorra had little or no internet connectivity for over half an hour after the start of the DDoS attacks.

About an hour after the DDoS had caused the above Twitch tournament calamity for the streamers, Andorra Telecom Tweeted to admit that it was getting back to normal after a DDoS attack. Until that time, the disgruntled SquidCraft Games participants could only postulate on the reasons for their disconnects. The Andorran contingent returned on the following day of the tournament, but another DDoS on Andorra Telecom inspired an exasperated sounding Tweet from the ISP.

All the Andorran participants in the SquidCraft Games got eliminated from the Twitch tournament. It is sad and unfair to go out this way, but the organizers didn't have a lot of choices. 

Highly Suspicious DDoS

Some suspect that DDoS attacks targeted Andorra Telecom due to this tournament and the large prize at stake. For example, on Twitter, Internet observers NetBlocks asserted that the Saturday evening attack was confirmed to be targeted at Team Andorra. Hopefully, some follow-up investigations and reports will point the finger more accurately, and the perpetrator disclosed.

Meanwhile, The SquidCraft Games continues into day four of six later today (from 2 pm ET), with 42 Twitch streamers left. 

Streaming takes a lot of brainpower, which doesn’t leave room for many other tasks. When I decided to stream, although I have a schedule, I’m never that organized. I’m either running late or haven’t tweaked all my settings for that stream. Sometimes, I get so excited about starting a new indie game or beating a boss that I forget to Tweet out that I’m going live. However, all the tasks involved with streaming -- changing settings, going live, chatting with an audience and even promoting your stream on social media -- can be done faster and easier with a dedicated macro keypad like the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2.

An update to the popular Stream Deck, the MK.2 features 15 customizable keys, each of which doubles as a tiny color LED screen that shows you its function. You can configure each key to do just about anything, but some of the built-in features the software supports include sending automated Twitch chat messages, playing audio from soundboards, creating clips, voice modding, or posting tweets. The Stream Deck MK.2’s app has native support for OBS, Twitch and Twitter.

Released in July 2021 for $149, the MK.2 has a few helpful improvements over the original model, but these probably won’t be enough to push those who already own one to upgrade. The new model brings us an interchangeable faceplate, a USB-C port with detachable cable and sturdier, 45-degree fixed-angle stand. Otherwise, it’s the same device and has the same functionality and software as the 6-button Stream Deck Mini ($69) or the 32-key Stream Deck XL ($245).

Stream Deck MK.2 Specs

Design of Stream Deck MK.2

The Stream Deck has three rows of five buttons. The buttons are raised, pushable, and separated by black bars — giving each an individualized feel. The buttons don’t have haptic feedback when pressed but they are tactile. It’s really helpful during my streams of PC games to have a hotkey to toggle in between the game and the other apps I’m using such as Opera GX, Chrome and OBS. I know most people love having more buttons on a macro keypad, but I found that even 15 was a lot and I felt like I could have gotten by with the six buttons on the Stream Deck Mini, especially because you can always create folders to store different functions.

The Stream Deck MK.2 has the same 15 keys as the original but looks different than its predecessor. Standing at 4.6 x 3.3 x 3 inches, it’s smaller and sleeker, and the stand feels studier and fits inconspicuously on your desk. The original Deck weighed 6.4 ounces, which has now been whittled down to 5.1 ounces. 

The interchangeable faceplate snaps off into your hand. This feature makes it easier to customize your faceplate. Before you had to try to cover the 4.6 x 3.3 face of the 15 button layout with another customized case. Another option is placing a vinyl sticker atop the face of the Deck. Seven custom plates are now available for purchase on Elgato’s website for $10 each. 

The stand on the Stream Deck MK.2 looks totally different. The prior model had an adjustable stand, which seemed a little flimsy, but this is a weighted one-piece detachable that’s fixed at a 45-degree angle. The weight helps the MK.2 feel sturdy along with the anti-slip base.

The detachable USB-C plug is a big convenience. On the prior model, the short, 23-inch (59cm) cord was built into the device, but the MK.2 comes with a removable cable that’s a full meter long. 

Putting together the MK.2 is an easy, three-step process. The stand comes attached to the console in the box. After removing the stand, I simply plugged in the USB-C cable, which fits through a hole in the stand for easy cable management. Once that was done all that was left was plugging the cable into my computer and configuring the software.

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 Software 

The Stream Deck app, which is the same for all models of Stream Deck, is the place where you configure all of the buttons. Navigating the software isn’t hard as there is a list of actions and supported software on the right with a picture of all the keys on Stream Deck on the right. To configure each button, drag and drop the action you’d like to assign on the appropriate spot on the button map.  

The built-in actions are organized by app / function and include categories for Elgato Game Capture, OBS Studio, Soundboard, Stream Deck functions (create a folder, set brightness,etc), Streamlabs OBS, Twitter and Twitch. If you want to create more than 15 buttons, you can add folders buttons which take you down a level where you can add a whole new set of buttons. 

You can also create custom actions that will hit a keyboard combination, launch a website or enter text for you. There’s a multi-action button that will do any combination of these together too. And you can even create your own custom icons to go on the buttons.

If building actions yourself isn’t enough, there are a lot of plugins like one that provides Spotify integration, although I don’t recommend using music during your streams (you could use it in your private time, though. You can also find plugins for other, non-streaming workloads such as programming in Visual Studio.

The Stream Deck MK.2 isn’t just for simplifying streaming, it helps with sound, not just monitoring volumes, but voice modding as well. When you see streamers making their voice echo, or sound like they just inhaled helium, they’re using Voicemod, a plugin that’s available for the Stream Deck that has some limited free content but charges a subscription fee for use of most of its effects. 

Where I would like to see more functionality is in the sound monitoring department. With Loupedeck, there are six knobs dedicated to handling a different program’s sound. 

Creating functions like running ads on your Twitch, emote-only chat, and creating clips are vital to having a seamless stream. The Stream Deck MK.2 also has the capability to create multiple profiles for running different Twitch accounts or for different occasions. You can connect to Twitch, YouTube, Streamlabs, and Twitter by signing in via the Stream Deck software. 

Connecting your Twitch account allows you to create buttons that integrate with your stream. I set a button to open OBS to have quicker access. Inside the OBS functions, you can switch scenes, start and stop your stream as well as move around sources.

Streaming With the Stream Deck MK.2

To see how the Stream Deck MK.2 works in practice, I tried it for one of my streaming sessions and found it changed my workflow significantly. From the time I decided I wanted to stream until the end of my stream, the only time I touched my keyboard was to update my title, change my game, and turn on my closed captioning feature.

I mostly used it for sound effects, scene transitions, and to mute my mic. It makes streaming more seamless and it makes things seem more fun. It’s like having your own in-house studio producer. If something crazy happens, I can click the scene transition button to a scene with just my camera so my viewers can see a full screen of my reaction. My favorite sound effect to use is the censor sound so if I want to have an impromptu “cursing” session I just continually press the button as I yell about being killed by the Imposter who I said was the Imposter two meetings ago!

Non-Streaming Uses of Stream Deck MK.2

Let’s talk about use cases outside of Twitch. The Stream Deck MK.2 has a Zoom plugin that allows you to turn on/off your camera and mute yourself. There’s also a Speed Test plugin, which is helpful when troubleshooting.

The Loupedeck has also spoiled me in this area because it has multiple functions built-in for Adobe Photoshop and other non-streaming apps. The Stream Deck software either doesn’t have these natively and there are plug-ins for some, but I didn’t see any for Adobe apps. You can always create your own Photoshop actions, though.

Sometimes I need a mental break in the middle of me staring at my computer all day. I start getting fidgety and not wanting to do actual work. The Deck provides some mental relief with its mini-games like Memory Game, Dice, and Reaction Deck. I’ve tested out the Memory Game and it’s not super competitive or invigorating — it’s really relaxing.

This macro keypad really has some range. The icons can be personalized with photos of you, your emotes, or funny photos that match the sound by using the Elgato key creator page. There are preloaded icon packs inspired by Assassin’s Creed Viking lore, Apex Legends, and a superhero pack.

Bottom Line

If you do any kind of streaming, the Stream Deck MK.2 will make your life easier and allow you to focus on the tasks that matter most: creating content and interacting with your audience. Just being able to hit a single button to do something like Tweet, instead of navigating through menus with my mouse and keyboard, is a game-changer for me.

I think this piece of technology is aimed at mid-level streamers. The software and plugins are easy to use and setup. However, if a person is new to streaming, this device could be overkill, as you may not need to activate that many functions.I also found myself wishing I had a dial to control the volume, a feature which the Loupedeck has, rather than pushing a button

The Stream Deck is helpful in everyday use outside of streaming. Providing shortcuts to various programs that I use has a really nice efficient feel to it. I honestly cannot go back to not having a macro keypad.

The Stream Deck MK.2 is a visual improvement over the original, with the key difference being the customizable plate sans vinyl stickers. The USB-C cable and new stand are helpful too. But if you already own a Stream Deck, there’s no need to rush out and get the MK.2 version just for cosmetics.

If you want to save money, consider the Stream Deck Mini, which is basically the same device but with six buttons. And, if you want a more robust solution for professional audio or video editing, one of the Loupedeck models, which start at $269 and go up to $549, may be a better choice thanks to their built-in jog dials. However, if you want a highly functional macro pad at a reasonable price, the Stream Deck MK.2 could be your best choice.

One maker's Raspberry Pi is another maker's fun robotic co-host. Chris from HotSparkLab is all about streaming cool games like Star Citizen but it turns out his stream was missing something—a custom Raspberry Pi-powered counterpart to help liven up the show!

This custom robot co-host is named Hot Spark and he very easily steals the spotlight. The best Raspberry Pi projects are ones you can share and Hot Spark is ready to chat, sing and dance for viewers on live stream.

According to Chris, the creation is powered by a Raspberry Pi 4 and it uses multiple servos, via a control board, to animate the eyes and arms as well as pivot the body back and forth. The mouth and eyes are represented via RGB LED matrix boards that appear to be WS2812B "NeoPixels" connected to servos.

He's programmed to perform animations, respond to questions and even recognize when new followers come along. To integrate him into the stream, a stationary Raspberry Pi HQ camera is used to record the bot in front of a green screen. This makes it easier to drop him into place while live streaming.

If you want to see Hot Spark in action, check out this thread on Reddit for a quick song and be sure to follow HotSparkLab on Twitch to catch him live.

Highlighting is a cool feature that lets you show off the best parts of your six-hour Twitch streams. If you highlight one stream multiple times, you can then string those together later for a highlight reel that could go up on YouTube. This allows you to immortalize your stream, especially because, if you aren’t a partner, Twitch deletes streams after 14 days. Once your stream is done, you are able to go back and create multiple highlights of one stream or publish the entire stream to YouTube as one video.

You can view recent highlights made by scrolling down to Most Recent Videos.

 What You Need to Highlight Your Stream

• Twitch Account
• Access to the desktop version of Twitch
• Archived Stream

Find and Pick an Archived Stream on Twitch

1. Click Creator Dashboard under your account photo in Twitch.

2. Select Video Producer under Content in the menu on the left

3. From Past Broadcast or All Videos, pick a stream you’d like to highlight

4. Click Highlight in the top menu

Toward the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a timeline with edit buttons.

Editing Your Archived Stream in Twitch

On the timeline we have a few different buttons that are easy to use:

From left to right the buttons are

• Undo Timeline Action
• Redo Timeline Action
• Remove Selected Segment - your selected segments will be highlighted in yellow box
• Split Segment at Playhead -the playhead is the cursor that you move back and forth on the timeline
• Add New Segment at Playhead

• Preview All Segments - plays the segments on the timeline
• Preview Current Segment - plays the selected segment only

• Input Start Segment Timestamp - this allows you to manually input the exact time for the segment to start
• Start Segment at Playhead
• Input End Segment Timestamp - manually input the exact time for the segment to end
• End Segment at Playhead

• Zoom Controls - These control the time-frame shown on the timeline. Clicking >|< centers the timelineon the playhead location
• Zoom Range can be changed from Full Length to 1 minute

• Display - This allows you to filter any Stream Markers that you may have made during stream. *Stream Markers are quick actions done while streaming to mark the place of an interesting event*

• Clips Menu - this allows you to view clips made by you or people watching your stream

• 3 Dots - this allows you to down clips data, and see keyboard shortcuts

1. Zoom into 30-minute increments. I’m starting at 00:22:23. The numbers are written in the format of hours:minutes:seconds. So my starting place is 22 minutes and 23 seconds into my livestream. I scrubbed through the video using my playhead to select a good starting place.

2. Zoom out to Full Length to view the whole segment to choose a place to end the segment

3. Highlight the end of the segment and drag it to a place where you  want to end. In my example, right now it ends at 02:32:01. After dragging it, it ends at 01:23:35.

The Highlight Queue on top of the timeline tells you the length of the segment, in my case 1 hour, 1 minute and 15 seconds long.

Creating Multiple Highlights in Twitch

The Highlight Queue will tell you to create multiple highlights, rename your highlight and change the category.

2. Name the highlight by clicking the first box

3. Change the category by clicking the second box

4. Repeat the steps on how to create a highlight

This sample highlight is 4 minutes and 46 seconds, which is longer than a clip which can only be 60 secs. You can make your highlights as long as you’d like.

5. Once you have all the highlights you’d like click Publish Highlights

Your highlights will start rendering and you’ll see this page. On the right side menu, you can edit your title, add a description, change the language, modify the category, add tags or set permissions of who can see it. On the left side you can preview the video, upload a thumbnail or view the link for the highlight

Once the video is doing processing you can download, export, share, unpublish or add it to a list.

You can now see your highlights in your Video Producer

How to Export Your Twitch Highlights to YouTube

1. Turn on Store Past Broadcasts

2. Click Stream in the Settings on the Creator Dashboard Menu

3. Select Settings in Twitch. It’s located in the right corner under your avatar.

4. Click Connections

5. Connect YouTube Account

6. Click Video Producer in Creator Dashboard.

7. Choose the highlight you’d like to export.

8. Click Export on your highlight to export it to YouTube.

9. Click Start Export.

How to View and Publish Your Twitch Video on YouTube

Select YouTube Studio under your profile photo on YouTube.com

Select Content from the menu on the left side

Select the video you uploaded from Twitch. The video will be private if you set the export to private or public if you set the export to public

You’ll then see the video in full detail. From here you can add more tags, tweak the description, and set the video to public if you haven’t done so already.

Filing taxes can be daunting, especially if you’re a professional streamer. Every penny that you make via Twitch, YouTube, or any other content creation platform needs to be reported. I’ve spoken to various CPAs, Tax Auditors, and tax filing companies to find some best practices when filing taxes as content creators. 

Editor’s Note: We contacted a number of tax professionals and researched several sources for this story. But it is meant to be general guidance, not professional legal advice. Please speak to a tax professional about these and other filing concerns before submitting your tax return.

You’ll notice that, when you level up to Affiliate status with Twitch, the company asks you to fill out a tax form. Once you do so from any business you are responsible for reporting that income. At the end of the year, these companies will send you a 1099/ W9 if you’ve made $600 or more. 

Twitch Yearly Payout Less Than $600

If you have not made at least $600 on their platform, Twitch is not obligated to send you a 1099 form, but you are still obligated to keep track of your earnings and report them to the IRS on a Schedule C.

If you agree to Twitch’s Affiliate/Partnership program but do not fill out a W9 to specify how much taxes should be withheld, the company automatically withholds up to 30%, as stated on Twitch.tv.

Non-U.S. residents are also subject to U.S. income taxes. “In most cases, a foreign person is subject to U.S. tax on its U.S. source income. Most types of U.S. source income received by a foreign person are subject to U.S. tax of 30%”, the IRS website states.

Hobbyist vs Self Employed

If you are planning to make money as a content creator, freelancer, or streamer you are self-employed and run your own business as a freelancer. According to IRS.gov, if you earn more than $400 in a year, you are subject to self-employment taxes of 15.3%, which go into retirement and medicare and must file 1040 or 1040-SR forms.

Also, you must determine if your streaming income is classified as a business or a hobby. If it’s a business, you can deduct expenses. The IRS lists nine criteria for determining whether something classifies as a business, including:

• "Whether you were successful in making a profit in similar activities in the past.
• Whether the activity makes a profit in some years and how much profit it makes.
• Whether you can expect to make a future profit from the appreciation of the assets used in the activity.”

Kari Brummond, Tax Preparer with TaxCure said, “When you have self-employment income, the IRS considers you to be a small business owner and lets you write off your business expenses. This includes everything you purchase to support your streaming business — microphones, PCs, cameras, and streaming software are all deductible…” 

If you constantly are losing money year after year as a content creator, the IRS will automatically determine you to be a hobbyist instead of a business. If you are spending more money on equipment than you are earning, it is a sign that you are losing money as a creator. 

Turbo Tax suggests keeping copies of receipts throughout the year and, if possible, using a business credit card to differentiate between content creator purchases and everyday purchases. Get oil changes at the beginning of the year so you can have proof of your mileage. These bookkeeping tips will help you determine if you are losing money and your yearly expenses.

Deductible Expenses for Streamers  

Ms. ZaCorra Bronson, a Tax Professional with W.E.B.S. Tax Preparation & Bookkeeping Services states, “[Since passage of] the Tax Cuts and Job Act, it is harder to deduct expenses because it  increased the standard deduction by almost half but eliminated many previous eligible deductions as well. Fees for tax preparation or investment management are no longer eligible deductibles.”

According to the IRS, deductible expenses for any business include rent, travel and assets (which could include equipment).

CPA Travis Guterman said that, as a content creator, your expenses can include internet services, Xbox subscriptions, games bought, computer equipment, gaming hardware and video equipment. Guterman offered a few tips to help you calculate how much of your internet and computer equipment you use for business.

“Claiming you use your home internet or telephone for 100% business use is not accurate,” Guterman said. “You're going to use it for personal matters such as streaming Netflix, communicating with friends and family, and etc."

If you’re trying to calculate how much is used for personal or business, think about how long you stream or edit videos. If you’re streaming 70 hours a week, there are 168 hours in a week, you use about 40% of your internet for business a week. If you only stream two hours for income, you use less than 10% of your internet for a business in a week. Calculating how much you use an Xbox subscription requires the same calculations.

Writing Off Purchases

If you're using a car for streaming purposes, you can keep track of the miles and deduct them on your taxes. Your business expenses can be write-offs up to a certain amount.

“As a general rule of thumb, you write off the entire cost of small purchases and routine expenses (office rent, electricity software subscription fees) in the year of purchase, and you deduct large expenses such as computers incrementally over time,” Brummond said. “However, the Section 179 deduction lets you claim the full cost of many equipment expenses in the year of purchase.”

Using an EIN Instead of an SSN

If you are in the early stages of creating content you don’t have to file for an LLC just yet, suggests Guterman. If you’d like to acquire a free EIN, you can do so via the IRS.gov website.

Having an EIN doesn’t mean you have to file separate taxes for your business; it just means that you don’t want to give out your social security number to every company you work with. Everything made is added or subtracted from your overall annual income.

Tips and Donations Count as Income

You have to count donations sent to your PayPal, CashApp, or Venmo because those aren’t just gifts; they are part of your income. Ms. Bronson and TurboTax both suggest you subtract the service fees from platforms like PayPal. If someone gives you $30, Paypal charges you three cents per donation, which leaves you with $29.97.

What if You Spent More Than You Made?

I spoke with Guterman about losses and how to calculate them into your income. He gave me this formula. If you buy a new camera that costs $300 but only made $400 from Twitch, your income from that platform would be $100. Or, if you buy a $300 camera, but only make $200 on the platform you’ve lost money and can subtract $100 from your overall income, but you need to itemize those expenses on your Schedule C.

Finding and speaking with an accountant is going to be in your best interest. Using tax preparation software can help you prepare your taxes as well.

Annie M. Yang, Accountant Manager suggests using FreeTaxUSA.com as the cheapest option to file your taxes.

“If you use any other tax software company, they charge around $100 to file a tax return with Schedule C, which is way too much money for someone who earned less than $600 last year from their business,” she said.

The IRS site is a great resource that will also help you file your taxes. You can call 1-800-829-1040 to get answers to your federal tax questions 24 hours a day. The deadline for filing federal taxes this year has been extended to May 17th. Some, but not all, states have extended their deadlines to May 17th as well (here's a list of current state deadlines but check with your state to be sure). If you need an extension beyond that for your federal taxes, visit IRS.gov.

XSplit is a broadcast application like OBS (Open Broadcast Software). There are a few differences in the features because there are paid and free versions of XSplit. XSplit Broadcaster has a professional feel and is not hard to set up because it easily integrates with all the major platforms, including Twitch.

What You Need to Stream on XSplit

• XSplit Account
• Livestream platform account on Twitch, Facebook, YouTube or Restream
• A PC that can handle at least 720p, 30 fps
• A capture card if you are streaming from a console.
•  Mic / webcam / headset: For recording yourself. Check out our lists of best webcams, best gaming headsets and best gaming microphones.

How to Set Up XSplit

1. Sign up for an XSplit account at www.XSplit.com.

2. Download the Broadcaster software after you sign up for your account. 

3. When the software downloads it will ask if it can make changes to your computer, click Yes to continue. It will ask you this every time you open Broadcaster.

4. Click Broadcast in the left  corner the select Set Up a New Output. To set up a new output means to connect your streaming platform like Twitch or YouTube. You can set up multiple accounts for multiple streaming platforms.

5. Each platform will request authorization for XSplit to use it . Click Authorize XSplit to use Twitch (or whatever platform(s) you have). 

6. After you verify your Twitch account it will show up under Choose a Twitch Account. Once you see the account you want to stream to click on it. You can also have multiple Twitch accounts logged in on XSplit. But you can only stream to one account at a time. 

7. This is what authorizing XSplit to use your Twitch will look like. Click Next.

XSplit will automatically determine your server and tell you what your recommended settings are for Twitch and the other platforms available. Just because there are recommended settings doesn’t mean that’s the highest setting you can stream on. 

XSplit Settings for 1920 x 1080 running 60 FPS on Twitch 

Twitch Properties are for technical stream settings like your Bitrate and Codec. You don’t usually have to pay attention to these settings. The only thing I would change for a smooth stream with great graphics is the Video Encoding.  

Codec encodes or decodes a digital data stream or signal. Currently, it’s on H.264 and is using my graphics card the GTX 1060. I change my Codec to x264 because it has better quality, meaning it gives my stream a more polished look.  

Bitrate: The lower the Bitrate the choppier the stream can be. I recommend 5000 for 1080p streams. Running at a lower setting like 1280 x 720 at 30FPS the bitrate should be raised to 4000 maximum and 1500 minimum. And the Codec can still change x264. 

That’s recommended bitrate for Twitch. Recommended setting for YouTube & Facebook are 4000 to 6000.

How to Change the Resolution and Framerate on XSplit

1. Click on the resolution and framerate in the upper right corner. 

2. Scroll down to Resolution and select the resolution works for your stream. The two most common Resolution options are 1280 x720 (16:9) & 1920 x 1080 (16:9). 

3. Click on Resolution scroll down to Framerate to change your framerate. While streaming at 1920 x 1080 the framerate is usually 60 frames per second. Streaming at 1280 x 720 the framerate is 30 fps.  

How to Import OBS Scenes into XSplit 

If you have scenes on OBS that you don’t want to recreate in XSplit, there’s a very easy way to port them over. Before importing your OBS scenes to XSplit you must save your scenes.

1. Open OBS, click Profile in the upper left corner & select Export and choose a place to save them. 

2. Switch to XSplit. 

3. Click Tools located in the upper left  menu. 

4. Select Permissions. 

5. Check the box for OBS Scene Importer and click apply. 

6. Click Import from OBS Studio. 

7. Select the scenes you’d like to import and click open. 

8. Click Import. Now your scenes and sources are available in XSplit. 

How to Create New Scenes & Sources in XSplit 

If you are starting from scratch and want to build your scenes in XSplit, whether you’re using StreamElements, StreamLabs, or importing an overlay you made yourself, it’s very easy to use.

1. Click the + button to add more scenes.You can rename the Scene by clicking on the white bar toward the bottom.

2. To add an overlay as an image, video, or GIF click Add Source at the bottom of the screen. Your File Explorer will open up and you can choose your overlay from there.

How to add an Overlay from StreamElements to XSplit

Adding an overlay from StreamElements and StreamLabs is easy. These are free websites in which to create overlays.

1.  Sign up for an account on StreamElements using a streaming platform or your email.

2. Create your overlay. 

3. Click the link button to copy the URL to your clipboard.

4.  Switch back to the XSplit software and  select paste. 

5. Grab the edges of your overlay to adjust it to the size you want.

Using VCam with XSplit

VCam is an additional free program under the XSplit brand that allows any user to remove background without a green screen and create different effects without any additional software. 

1.  Download install and run VCam. You can get it on XSplit’s site.  

2. Click continue after Vcam launches and starts its calibration. 

You can blur your background by moving the slider up & down.

You can remove your background.

You can add a background from their collection of images or upload your own image, gif, video, or webpage by clicking Add Background.

You can also change the brightness, contrast or move the image to the right or left by clicking the edit button near the blur bar.

If you have multiple cameras you can select them from the list.

Click 3 dots “...” to adjust your webcam settings.

How to add your webcam or VCam to your Scene

1. Select Add Source ->Devices -> Video and then XSplit VCam or your Webcam. 

How to Use Your Phone or Tablet Instead of a Webcam 

If you don’t have a webcam you can use XSplit Connect Webcam which allows you to use your smartphone camera as a webcam.

2.  Open XSplit VCam & select the ^ button. 

3. Click Connect your mobile phone camera. 

It is supposed to connect because it’s on the same IP address. However, in my tests, it didn’t yet work because it’s in beta. You may have better luck. 

How to add your Mic to your Scene in XSplit

1. Select Add Source ->Devices-> Audio, and then select the mic you want to use.  

Additional mic & audio settings are located in the bottom right corner.

2. Click Settings underneath the mic button for advanced options like using Noise Gate. 

3. Use Noise Gate Threshold if you have a fan that your mic is picking up. Sliding the bar down lowers the gate and lets in more noise. Sliding the bar up raises the gate and let’s less noise in. Checking the Noise Suppression box helps lower all background noise.  

4. Clicking the settings button will open general and advance settings. 

5. In the Audio tab, you can adjust your system sound/headphones, microphone, and control if you’d like your audio to have a delay.

6. Use the Audio Preview section to monitor the final audio output from your stream. It may sound like an echo but the echo won’t show up in recordings or livestream.

7. Click the drop-down menu under System Sound allows to choose what audio your stream picks up, like audio from your entire PC, which might include, Discord notifications or YouTube audio. Or you can set it to just pick up your voice and the gameplay.

Due to latency, there may be a delay between the live feed of the game and when it reaches XSplit (particularly if you are using a capture card). The delay checkbox allows you to create a delay on video and audio sources, like your System sound, Webcam, and microphone.

8. The white bars next to the microphone and speakerphone icon control the volumes of your mic and the PC sound. Click and hold the left button on your mouse to make the volumes go up or down.  

How to Set a Delay for a Source in XSplit

1. Find out how much the delay is by measuring it in seconds. 

2. Convert that time it into milliseconds. For example, 2 seconds is 2,000 milliseconds.

3. Input that into the delay section and tes it. There will be a lot of fine-tuning to get the delays the sync up. 

How to Set Up a Console and Capture Card in XSplit 

If you are streaming with a console, you need a capture card to connect it with XSplit

1. Hook up your capture card to your console.

2. Turn on your console.

3. Click Add Source at the bottom of the screen, select devices -> video and select your capture card. You can resize the window by grabbing the edges of the box and pulling them outward or inward. 

How to Set Up PC Game Streaming in XSPlit 

If you are streaming PC Games you don’t need a capture card. 

1. Open the game you’d like to play.

2. Select Add Source at the bottom of the screen then select Game Capture and the game will appear in the list under Auto-Detect. 

3. Resize the game display  by grabbing the edges of the window and pulling them outward if you want to make it bigger or inward to make it smaller.

How to Start a Livestream in XSplit

After your platform of choice, overlay and gameplay are added and your mic and camera settings are configured, you can start livestreaming. 

1. Select the button on the top right above your preview window. If you only have one platform click the Stream button and your stream will startup. 

2. Select the platform where you’d like to go live if you have multiple platforms. 

3. Click the stream button and your stream is now live. The red button and the message in the bottom right corner confirm your stream is live. 

Extra XSplit Streaming Settings

Saving Scenes

You can have multiple scenes for different platforms or games. Multiple scenes saved into one file is a Presentation.

1.  To save these scenes select File in the upper left corner, Save Presentation, and choose where to save it.  

2. Select File, New Presentation to create another set of scenes You can even save, load, or add individual scenes by selecting File.

Adding Transitions in XSplit

Transitions are for moving from scene to scene. And XSplit comes with preloaded transitions, which you will find on the bottom right corner of the screen.  

You are able to favorite them with the star button.

And if you have a custom transition that you’ve made, feel free to upload it by selecting the transitions, scrolling to the bottom, and selecting Stinger or Luma.

Express Video Editor

XSplit has its own video editor which is another program you can download from its website.  

Adding a poll to your Twitch stream is a great way to engage with your viewers. It allows you to learn more about your community and have them engage with your gaming decisions in real-time. 

For example, you might ask, "do I play the campaign or multiplayer mode?" or "should we make friends with the mercenary or hand him over to the law?" or perhaps "What should we play today?" Whatever question you choose, here's how to create a poll in Twitch.

What You Need to Create Twitch Polls 

• Twitch Affiliate or Partner account - Twitch Polls are only accessible to Affiliates and Partners only. Affiliates is a Twitch recognized status for streamers who have consistently streamed and built a community on Twitch. Partners are people who are sponsored and branded streamers on Twitch.
• A computer.
• Broadcasting software to go live on Twitch. For example, Xsplit or Open Broadcast Software, OBS.

Once your Twitch account is Affiliate status, you’ll have access to your Polls located in your dashboard.  

Where to Find Poll Manager on Twitch 

1.  Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the Twitch interface. 

2. Scroll down to Creator Dashboard and click on it. 

In your Creator Dashboard, you’ll see panels on your right-hand side. 

3. Hover over the panels with your mouse and scroll down to the bottom to where you see a blank panel with a plus sign.

4. Click the empty panel with a plus sign to see more Quick Action panels. 

Panels are call-to-action items that can be activated during livestreams. Quick Action panels allow you to use panels during a livestream without fumbling through menus.

5. The Quick Action panel we’re looking for is Manage Poll. If you don’t have it added yet, click the ADD button on the panel.  

Once it’s added, you can see it in your list of panels. You can create a Poll before and during your livestream. 

How to Create a Poll in Twitch 

1. Click the Manage Poll panel to create a new poll. Here, I’ve already set up a previous poll, so I will click New Poll to start another. Use View Poll Results to look at the results of the previous poll to see which option is the winner.  

2. Fill out the form to set up your poll. Start by typing a question you want to ask. Then add options for viewers to choose from. 

Twitch polls currently allow you to fill out two answers minimum and five answers max

3. The last thing to do before starting your poll is set the timeframe for how long viewers will be able to vote on it. Voting can last from one minute to 10 minutes.  

How to Manage Poll Settings in Twitch 

Below the form where you set up your poll are options to adjust voting settings. Here, you can allow Additional Votes, meaning one person can vote for more than one option or vote for a single option multiple times. 

If you choose to allow viewers to cast multiple votes for a single option, their first vote will always be free. After that, they can spend Bits or Channel Points to cast additional votes. Bits are the currency used on Twitch and can be purchased through the site. Channel Points are unique to each streamer and earned by watching their livestreams. You can set how much each additional vote costs in the Settings, but note that additional votes using Bits or Channel Points can’t be cast on mobile. 

How to View Poll Results on Twitch 

1. After selecting the timeframe for your poll, select start poll. You’ll see an overlay for the poll countdown. 

This overlay allows you to view votes in real time, end the poll early, or delete the poll altogether.  

2. After the poll has ended you can review the results in a new tab. The winning answer will have the highest percentage by it as well as the most votes. 

3. Click Vote Breakdown to see how many viewers voted with Bits or Channel Points for each option, as well as the top contributor.

4. Click the Copy Button to review the results in a different tab. This URL allows you to post the results of yourpoll in your stream.

Polls are a fun way to engage with your viewers and find out what they’re interested in. They’re also great for creating unity among viewers. 

Ever since PlayStation cut ties with Facebook, streamers can no longer broadcast live or upload clips directly to Facebook. It’s easy to livestream directly to Twitch, YouTube, and Twitter, though. You can start the stream from your console, know that your voice and game audio will be leveled, create a title, click start streaming and watch the stream from your phone, tablet, or computer.

What You Need to Livestream from PlayStation

●     PlayStation 4 or 5: the user interface is similar.

●     Headset with a 3.5 mm output to plug into the PS controller.

●     A Controller to navigate through the menus and monitor audio levels

●     A Monitor to see how high or low the volume

●     A PSN account to access the party function.

Setting Up Voice Audio for PS4 Livestreams

To ensure sure that your livestream includes your voice

2. Slide to the right and select Settings

3. Select Sharing and Broadcasts

4. Select Broadcast Settings.

5. Then select Advanced Settings

6. Navigate to Audio Sharing Settings

We see three different options

●     Include Microphone Audio in Video Clips is for when you’re recording gameplay. For example, 15-minute clips can be recorded and saved in your gallery with or without your commentary. Select this to include any commentary made during the 15 mins. Include Microphone Audio in Broadcasts is for livestreaming. Check this box to ensure your microphone is heard during your livestreams. Share Party Audio: checking this box will include party audio in video clips and broadcast. This one needs to be selected in order for your livestream to hear the people in your party chat. Selecting this will also override the first one Include Microphone Audio in Video Clips. Your voice will be included in every clip made.

Now that you have made your party chat sharable with your livestream, let’s setup allowing your voice to be broadcast in your friend’s livestream.

How to Set Your Broadcast to Capture Friends’ Party Chat Audio

These are the settings you need to change and have others in your party change on their ends  so the stream can hear you and your buddies.

2. Press the OPTIONS button on the right of the touchpad on the controller to see Party Settings & select Party Settings.

3. Scroll down to Allow Your Voice to Be Shared

4. Select Always Allow

Now your voice is available in your buddies’ stream.

Once you’re in a party and you notice someone’s mic is too low or too high they can be adjusted in party settings.

Since PlayStation’s recent update, joining parties and in-game sessions are different. Once you select party, the software will automatically take you to the party that you’re in. Or it will show you parties that you are invited to. You can no longer view other people’s parties without an invitation.

3. Select Party Settings from the right-side menu.

You’ll see the top three options are now available to select

4. Select Adjust Microphone Level, if you wish to change your microphone sensitivity.

If the bar is yellow in the Too Low zone, you’re a quiet talker, slide the bar up to increase your volume.

If the bar is red and in the Too High zone, you’re a loud talker, slide the volume down to lower your volume.

5. Select Adjust Audio Mix

The bar will adjust the game or your party chat. If you’re playing a game like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout and don’t need to hear the game audio slide the bar to the left.

If you’re playing a game like Apex Legends and you need to hear the game audio slide the bar to the right. This adjusts settings for you and your broadcast as well.

6. Select Chat Audio to prioritize which chat is being used, the game voice chat or the PlayStation party voice chat.

Adjusting these settings can increase the production value of your stream. And it combats people who like to put their mics close to their mouths. You are able to control anyone’s volume from your PlayStation.

Setting Up Voice Audio for PS5 Livestreams

1. Click the Settings button on the top right-hand side

2. Select Captures and Broadcast

3. Select Broadcast on the left side of the screen.

4. Select Audio.

5. Toggle on Include Voice Chat Audio. This allows other streamers to broadcast your voice, your livestream to capture your voice and your commentary to be captured when you save Game Clips.

A shortcut to including your Mic Audio and Party Audio is included your Save Game Recording Menu

How to Balance Voice Chat and Gameplay Audio

1. Press the PS button on the controller. You’ll see a menu appear on the bottom

2. Scroll to the right to the Sound icon. A menu box will appear that will have a bar underneath Voice Chat Balance.

3. Move the bar to the left to turn up the Voice Chat or move it to the right to turn up the Game Chat Audio.

As we mentioned above, if you’re playing a game like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout and don’t need to hear the game audio, slide the bar to the left. If you’re playing a game like Apex Legends and you need to hear the game audio, slide the bar to the right.

How to Access Party Settings

1. Press the PS button on the controller.

2. Slide to the right toward Game Base. Game Base is four icons over

3. Create a party by pressing the square button on your controller.

4. Press the PS button

5. Select Game Base and scroll to the right of Create Party button to the Settings button

6. Select Voice Chat Settings

How to Adjust Your Mic Settings

1. Select Microphone Level Voice from the Voice Chat Settings menu.

2. Slide the bar to the left to turn down your mic sensitivity and slide the bar to the right to turn up the mic sensitivity

Also in Voice Chat Settings, you see Share Your Voice.

Here is another place where you can allow your voice to be shared through your buddies’ livestream.

There is a shortcut available in your Game Base to adjust or mute your mic. 

The PlayStation 5’s UI is slightly different, with newer icons and functions. So you’re able to do the same things with fewer steps. The mini-menu that pops up when you press the PS makes it easy to create shortcuts.

The internet can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Today it’s easier than ever to hop on the web, make connections with the like-minded, learn something new or even launch a career, like game streaming. Streamers build a following by putting their skills and personality out there, and you can’t be a popular streamer without interacting with your viewers and the broader community on Twitch YouTube and the like. But what happens when that community is plagued with toxic behavior, from hate speech to harassment, that can seem louder than the kudos and positive emojis? As a technology business, can innovations like artificial intelligence serve as the elixir for an industry made unpleasant by its own customers?

Trolls Gone Wild

If you’re internet-savvy enough to have made it to this website, chances are you’ve seen or even experienced how nasty people can be online. With streamers, the insults can come in real-time and become more personal as your face and image are put on display. In fact, according to Intel research,10% of players who quit gaming cited toxicity as the reason.

In an op-ed, a Twitch streamer known as ZombaeKillz detailed her own experiences as black female streamer.

“In two decades of online gaming, I have been stalked offline, threatened with rape and murder and even saw users steal my kids' pictures from Facebook so they could mock them in online groups,” she wrote. “The feeling of helplessness and violation is something you never forget. But with gaming giants … embracing the Black Lives Matter movement in recent months, you might think that these companies would be more conscientious about stopping bigotry on their platforms.

However, based on my experiences and those of other streamers of color I speak to, it’s clear that the reality doesn’t live up to the rhetoric.”

It’s no secret that various minority groups, including the LGBTQIA community, feel “vulnerable” in these environments, as ZombaeKillz put it. And while you can block people on Twitch and other game streaming platforms, most grant enough leeway for multiple offenses, whether calling someone ugly or calling someone a racial slur, before getting banned -- if they are even disciplined at all.

Vague Policies Leave Streamers Vulnerable

To help police its community, Twitch relies heavily on a team of human moderators, but could an influx of tech help make the platform, which has an average of 1.5 million viewers at any moment, more user-friendly?

Twitch’s content moderation is built upon its Terms of Service and Community guidelines. Streamers also have the option to build additional layers of standards on top of that. For example, streamers can use volunteer moderators to help moderate content on their channel. These volunteer moderations “play a vital role in the Twitch community,” a Twitch spokesperson told Tom’s Hardware.

“We invest heavily in this area and support them with tools and resources to make their jobs easier, (such as Mod View), and improve the overall moderation structure on Twitch,” the spokesperson said.

Twitch’s Mod View feature is just one of the ways we see tech starting to make moderation of over 4 million unique streamers’ channels more plausible. Announced in March, Mod View is a home base of tools for Twitch moderators that replaces the need to type commands in chat.

When it comes to dealing with actual complaints, Twitch uses “a combination of human moderators and automation”the spokesperson told us. One of the platform’s biggest investments is in “trust & Safety,” they said. This spring, the company launched the Twitch Safety Advisory Council. It’s also hiring a VP of global trust and safety.

“We have doubled the size of our safety operations team this past year, enabling us to process reports much faster, and added new tools for moderators, [such as] moderator chat logs, and viewers to control their experience, [such as] chat filters,” Twitch’s spokesperson said.

“We also have work underway, including a review of our Hateful Conduct and Harassment policies, enhanced offensive username detection, improvements to AutoMod and our Banned Words list and other projects focused on reducing harassment and hateful conduct. According to Twtich’s policy, hateful conduct is anything that “promotes, encourages or facilitates discrimination, denigration, objectification, harassment or violence based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or serious medical condition or veteran status and is prohibited.”

But when it comes to punishment for such “prohibited” activity, things get fuzzy. Prohibited typically means forbidden, but in Twitch’s case, doing something forbidden doesn’t seem to mean you’ll be prevented from doing it ever again. Twitch’s policy says hateful conduct is a “zero-tolerance violation” but then immediately points to a “range of enforcement actions,” which includes indefinite suspension, as well as warnings and temporary suspensions (1-30 days).

When we asked Twitch if it ever permanently bans users, the company would only point me to its Account Enforcements and Chat Bans page, which states: “Depending on the nature of the violation, we take a range of actions including a warning, a temporary suspension and, for more serious offenses, an indefinite suspension.” However, the guidelines don’t delineate which behaviors lead to this level of enforcement.

“For the most serious offenses, we will immediately and indefinitely suspend your account with no opportunity to appeal,” Twitch’s Account Enforcements and Chat Bans page adds. “If a banned user appears in a third-party channel while being suspended, this could cause the ban of the channel they appear in.”

Of course, the best streaming platforms of 2020 include more than just Twitch. There are also gamers on platforms like Facebook Gaming and YouTube. WIth YouTube, policies essentially allow for the occasional slip-up of slurs and other offenses.

YouTube lets you anonymously flag content for it to review if you think it violates their guidelines. And YouTube says it removes any content that violates its Community Guidelines. But the people who posted it may be back sooner than you’d expect.

YouTube explicitly states that “Hate speech, predatory behavior, graphic violence, malicious attacks, and content that promotes harmful or dangerous behavior isn't allowed on YouTube” and gets more specific by detailing hate speech against “age, caste, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, nationality, race, immigration status, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, victims of a major violent event and their kin [and] veteran status”

The site dives even further when it comes to race, refuting those who “incite or promote hatred based on any of the attributes noted above. This can take the form of speech, text, or imagery promoting these stereotypes or treating them as factual.” The list goes on, putting the X on “claiming superiority of a group” or comparing people to “animals, insects, pests, disease or any other non-human entity.”

But when it comes to enforcement, YouTube gets way less specific, saying it may remove content, but only “in some rare cases.” Confusingly, further reading the policy follows up with a statement that seems to implicate that this content will automatically be removed:

“If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an email to let you know. If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll get a warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we’ll issue a strike against your channel. If you get three strikes, your channel will be terminated,” YouTube’s policy states.

YouTube’s so-called Strikes System grants users three strikes within a 90-day period. Theoretically, you could spread your harassment over a careful 91-day period and never rack up more than a couple strikes. It’s possible YouTube’s moderation squad is too savvy for this, but its policy doesn’t explicitly prevent it.

Streaming Platforms Are Already Moderating With Tech

Perhaps more black-and-white than streaming platforms’ open-ended language on fighting harassment, a layer (or two) of tech is also critical. Advancements like machine learning are common in streaming platforms’ moderation toolkits. But there’s also room for more advanced technologies to help fight hate speech and other harassment in real-time.

First, let’s start with some things gaming platforms are currently using.

Twitch’s AutoMod, for example, combines machine learning and natural language processing algorithms to identify “risky” chat messages. It puts these comments on hold until a moderator can view them and approve them for display. The tool can also read through misspellings and evasive language.

AutoMod also allows for five levels of moderation, including none, over four different categories: discrimination, hostility, profanity and sexual content. Twitch controls the dictionary of words used, but streamers can also make a list of words for their own channel.

YouTube builds community policies by working with YouTube creators, as well as machine learning “to detect problematic content at scale,” considering that hundreds of hours of content are reportedly loaded to the platform by the minute. Flagged content, meanwhile, gets viewed by “trained human reviewers.” YouTube also employs an Intelligence Desk that “monitors the news, social media and user reports to detect new trends surrounding inappropriate content.”

But with offenders having loopholes for keeping their accounts and, therefore, the harassment alive, what can be done so streamers don’t have to see hate speech and other offensive behavior in the first place?

Hope for Improvement: Real-Time Moderation Tools

One of the obvious challenges with streaming moderation is the sheer wealth of videos and comments that hits these platforms that are exploding with popularity. Streamers can have volunteer moderators on air with them, but automation has the potential to take things to the next level.

At 2019’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), Intel detailed a fascinating way for tech to play a role in moderating. Intel showed off a prototype tech made in collaboration with Spirit AI that used artificial intelligence to identify toxic chat. Spirit AI had been focusing on text chat, but with Intel’s help the technology is growing to moderate voice chat too.

“The tooling that we built, basically you point it at a directory on your on your system. It would go through that list of files and tell you which ones which ones flagged certain types of behaviors and why,” George Kennedy, Intel gaming solutions architect, told Tom’s hardware regarding the demo showed off last year.

Since then, Intel has worked with Discord to harvest opt-in data from its Destiny 2 channel and built a validated data set to prove that it has a “really high accuracy at detecting certain types of toxic content,” Kennedy said. Now, the company is experimenting with different features.

Currently the tech takes human speech (mostly in English), converts it to text and then uses behavior models that Spirit AI uses for its various customers in the gaming industry. The behavior models vary. Some look at an entire domain and tell you if something’s toxic. Other companies use individual behavior models for individual categories. Those types of models have the option to use deep learning or a random forest classifier.

Kennedy showed us a couple of demos that Intel has been using to test its machine learning pipelines. They’re able to take content from any video or audio file, including one playing off YouTube, or microphone and do transcripts in real-time, blocking out whatever type of audio is specified.

They’re also experimenting with a “temperature tracking mechanism” where gamers could track the temperature of a conversation with another user. If the conversation crosses the gamer’s threshold of comfort, the other user is muted.

In a demo, Kennedy played a YouTube video and had the AI replace the names of fruits with quacks. This sort of technology could help gamers with hands-free moderation during livestreams.

It also showed us customization options with different categories, putting the power in the user’s hands.

“After the algorithm converts it to text, then we have a set of behavior models that we use to do detection,” Kennedy explained.

This is all still in the research and development phase, and Intel hasn’t committed to building any products, but there’s clearly opportunity down the line -- especially considering the wide gaps stream platform’s community policies are leaving exposed.

Streamers Push for More

Tech can automate moderation, helping to better tackle large audiences and live content and giving streamers customization power with tools that are easier to understand and leverage than streaming platforms’ community policies. But ultimately, the industry is widely looking at streaming gaming platforms to use their power too.

“Once these different platforms have policies, they can use machine learning tools to enforce those policies, but at the end of the day, you may need to get to behavior change,” Intel’s Kennedy said. “The platforms have the option to ban people for things that violate their terms of service. … If you don't want to actually censor players, there is the option to give players user-facing tools that let them control the type of content that they encounter when they play games.”

“We see a future where in addition to delivering the best power performance, we can actually improve the gamer experience so that this issue is less of a problem for them,” the exec said.

In her op-ed, ZombaeKillz pushed for more enforcements from platforms like Twitch, such as “IP bans, so users cannot create multiple accounts for harassment” and a way to prevent hate speech-based usernames.

Some streamers have pushed for instant bans for certain offenses.

““Any time a racial slur [is used], whether they tried to explain that that was a one-time thing or they didn’t mean it like that, i feel like just one strike and they’re gone [would be a better policy,” YouTube streamer BrownSugarSaga told Tom’s Hardware. “Anything against the LGBT community, one strike and you’re completely gone. I feel like they should be a bit more strict and...take that into consideration because a lot of times people do report, but the [offenders] still stay there. They are not strict enough … they wait for multiple reports…”

Tech is only as powerful as the people and policies behind it. And it seems that players at the heart of the burgeoning streaming industry are looking to the platforms to step up their game.

If you're dialing into a meeting for work or broadcasting a live game stream to Twitch (see how to stream from a PC with Twitch), background noise and images from your home can be embarrassing. Just imagine being on a call with your boss when your child starts throwing a temper tantrum in the next room. How about recording a podcast with your air conditioning blowing next to you, or chatting with a new client and hoping that they don't notice the piles of dirty laundry behind you?

Enter Nvidia Broadcast, a free app that lets anyone with an RTX graphics card, perhaps one of the best graphics cards, filter out unwanted noise and blur or replace the background on their videos. I had a chance to test Nvidia Broadcast, subjecting it to noises ranging from a loud, clicky keyboard to a screaming child and I came away impressed with its ability to remove unwanted noises. It also did a really good job of green screening.

 Nvidia Broadcast Requirements 

In order to install Nvidia Broadcast, you'll need any RTX card, along with driver version R455 or higher. During testing, I used driver version 456 with an RTX 2070 Super. 

 UI and Features of Nvidia Broadcast

Nvidia Broadcast is a very simple app that runs in the background at all times and shows up as a device in any software that lets you choose audio or video inputs. So no matter what software you're using to stream or make a video call, including your web browser, you're covered. 

The UI for Broadcast is very straightforward and shows you its limited, but powerful feature set. There are three tabs: 

• Microphone: Allows you to choose which microphone you'll be filtering, enable noise removal and adjust the strength of the noise removal. You can also record audio here to test the noise removal directly.  

• Speakers: Allows you to enable noise removal for incoming audio so if someone on your call has background noise, you can avoid hearing it. There are several sound samples here you can test with, including rain, crunching chips and typing. 

• Camera: Lets you choose the camera device and then choose Background Blur (an adjustable bokeh effect), Background Replacement (put a photo or video behind you) or Background Removal (silhouette yourself, great for appearing on top of games). You can also choose Auto frame, which crops the camera image to follow your head, but if you select that option, you can't use any of the background modifications.  

 Noise Removal in Nvidia Broadcast

 When Nvidia first demoed Broadcast by showing an employee filtering out a hair dryer, I thought "it can't really be as effective as they claim." But, after a few hours of testing with different background noises, I'm a believer. 

When I tried pounding away on my very-clicky Patriot Viper V765, one of the best gaming keyboards, with noise removal on, the sound of the clicks disappeared like magic. It wasn't quieter; it was just gone. 

It worked equally well with fan noise from my air conditioner. I turned the fan up to the max and tried it out.

But filtering for a high-pitched, mechanical noise seems pretty simple. How about filtering out a child's temper tantrum? I got my eight year old to fake throwing a fit right behind me and, once I enabled noise removal, every whine of "I'm not going to bed" went silent (at least on the recording). To double the challenge, we had him throw a tantrum while carrying around a robot car with whirring treads. Once again, Nvidia Broadcast removed all of the unwanted sound.

Sometimes you can't avoid background noise, because something is happening just outside your window. At one point during testing, some landscapers were lawn mowing a neighbor's yard and I took the opportunity to try noise removal. It worked flawlessly.

Another possible annoyance is a TV playing in the background. If you have kids, it's quite possible that they'll be blasting a cartoon from the living room while you try to conduct business from the couch. To test out these conditions, I played a video of the Paw Patrol theme song on a computer behind the one I was using and, to my great surprise, Nvidia Broadcast was there on the double, removing all the music and vocals. 

However, when I played a video of myself talking in the background, Broadcast didn't entirely filter it out, though it was barely audible. Perhaps it's too much to ask the software to tell the difference between the real me and the recorded me.

Noise removal in the speaker section works the same way. I tried all of Nvidia's sample clips and found that Broadcast completely removed unwanted noises such as chips crunching and keyboards typing.

All of this said, Nvidia Broadcast's noise removal is not completely without trade-offs as my voice seemed just a little less "full" to me every time I had the filter on. I'm not sure if that's really a problem and, if it is, you can always adjust the strength of the filter.

Background Replacement / Removal in Nvidia Broadcast

It wasn't long ago that, to remove the background behind you, you needed to literally put up a green screen. Then there was a brief moment where companies like Intel, with its RealSense camera, used infrared cameras to separate the foreground from the background in images.

Nvidia Broadcast uses image recognition to tell the difference between humans and the objects behind them and filters accordingly. No matter which of the background altering modes I chose -- background blurring, background replacement or background removal -- the system did an excellent job of separating me from the world behind me. 

Sure, there was somewhat of a halo effect around me and I sometimes looked washed out or jagged, but the system did an impeccable job. Interestingly, the software also considers your chair to be part of your body, which makes sense because things might look even more awkward if it made you look like you were floating on air.  

The software not only recognized me, but also any other people who were in the frame with me. So when I had my daughter on my lap and my son standing next to me, we were all included. Interestingly, Nvidia Broadcast gets confused by objects you hold in your hand. When I held up my phone to the camera, it kept appearing and disappearing and eventually the system just showed my hand holding nothing. 

Of all three background modification options, background blurring is the one I'd probably use most because it looks the least fake. When I blurred the background behind me, I still looked sharp and lit consistently with the world around me. 

When I replaced the background behind me with a photo of a PC build, the scene looked cute, but out of proportion with my body (the computer in the photo was larger than my torso by far). And the lighting in the photo clearly didn't match my silhouetted body. 

Background removal might actually be the most useful background modification option in Nvidia Broadcast, because it makes your body act like a transparent PNG or GIF that you can place on top of any other video feed. Using OBS, I put in the corner while I displayed the windows desktop across the full screen, thus making it look like I was living in the right corner of the task bar. For doing tutorials and playing games, background removal makes a lot of sense as it allows you to show more of  the software you're demoing and none of the bookshelf behind you.

 Auto Framing in Nvidia Broadcast

If, and only if, you don't want to use one of the background modification options, you can enable Auto Frame, which has the webcam appear to follow your head by cropping the image to make sure you are centered at all times. I found that Auto Frame works as advertised when I moved my head left and right and saw the image adjust accordingly. However, if I moved outside of the camera's field of view, obviously, it couldn't help me. 

Auto Frame made me wish that someone would invent a pan and tilt webcam that uses servo motors to actually adjust its viewpoint. I bet there's a way to do something like that with Raspberry Pi, but it would be neat if you could buy a mass market device that did this.

Bottom Line

Nvidia Broadcast is an impressive piece of free software that will help you avoid embarrassment in meetings, podcasts and streams by accurately getting rid of unwanted background noise and cluttered backgrounds. However, nothing beats actual reality and, if you're a semi-serious streamer or podcaster,  you'll want to invest in one of the best gaming microphones and try to find a quiet room during broadcasts (if it's possible). The background removal is great for tutorials and game streams, but the blurring effect (lightly applied) is probably your best bet for meetings and podcasts. 

Nearly every streamer has to deal with the occasional troll, but as a Black woman in gaming, I have faced horrifying levels of racist and sexist harassment from belligerent strangers on the other side of the computer screen. Unfortunately, I’m far from alone, as the moderators at major platform, such as Twitch, turn a blind eye and fail to enforce their own, seemingly well-intentioned, anti-hate speech policies, leaving women, BIPOC and LBTQIA users vulnerable.

Warning: Some graphic descriptions of harassment to follow.

In two decades of online gaming, I have been stalked offline, threatened with rape and murder and even saw users steal my kids' pictures from Facebook so they could mock them in online groups. The feeling of helplessness and violation is something you never forget. But with gaming giants, such as Twitch and Microsoft, embracing the Black Lives Matter movement in recent months, you might think that these companies would be more conscientious about stopping bigotry on their platforms. 

However, based on my experiences and those of other streamers of color I speak to, it’s clear that the reality doesn’t live up to the rhetoric.

A few weeks ago, Twitch featured my daughter and I on its front page for a scheduled stream of Minecraft Dungeons. Imagine the excitement of hearing you’re getting a feature in front of thousands of viewers! The second feeling that washed over me was absolute and total dread because I knew I could be completely torn to shreds by abusive harassment during the moment I’m supposed to shine my brightest. 

Ultimately, we had to ban 54 people hurling racist and sexist remarks into my chat on that day alone. Twitch followed up the same way it always does. I received a pre-written auto email registering the report, followed by silence.

The problem isn’t limited to Twitch or to streaming. I have the same problem when I game on Xbox Live. 

I’ve suffered aggressive and demeaning comments from men in response to me being a woman. One user even threatened to murder me and rape my corpse. This gave me nightmares and caused me to stop playing games for a few months.

These are not isolated incidents, and I am not alone. So many of my peers experience these things daily, and we find ourselves wondering why these companies don't protect us.  

Finding safe spaces on the internet is hard enough for the average user. But finding safe spaces to create game streaming content as a person of color feels virtually impossible. Whether you are just starting out as a gamer or an experienced content creator the harassment you inevitably face online turns many away for good. 

Plenty of Policies, Not Enough Enforcement

Xbox Live, Twitch and YouTube all have harassment policies in place. These policies seem great in theory, but users will tell you that we don't often see enforcement. We need swift and severe punishments for users who choose to violate these policies to make gaming safer for everyone. 

I have been actively playing games online for 20 years and I will tell you this: No platform other than Nintendo has made me feel safe playing on it, because this kid-friendly company has strict and swift enforcement. The home of Mario and Zelda may be the only company that is doing it right, and other corporations should follow suit.

Twitch's Vague Anti-Harassment Language

Twitch’s written policy says that harassment is prohibited, but it’s too vague and even allows for “context.” The company’s policy states:

“Harassment is any content or activity that attempts to intimidate, degrade, abuse, or bully others, or creates a hostile environment for others, and is prohibited. Harassment is prohibited. Twitch will consider a number of factors to determine the intent, context, and impact of any reported harassment”. 

The document then goes on to detail some of the ways in which Twitch is supposed to determine if harassment has occurred and how to deal with it. 

The part others and I find lacking is where Twitch states, “Violating our policy against harassment will result in your account being suspended. Depending on the severity of the offense, harassers may be indefinitely suspended on the first violation.” 

As a Twitch broadcaster, I have heard and witnessed the harassment of my peers while live streaming. My ban button is worn out from the countless number of trolls who have slunk into my chat time and time again. So I report, rinse and repeat. Each time I receive an automated bot response thanking me for my report and absolutely ZERO follow up. 

Microsoft's Promise

Microsoft Executive VP of Gaming Phil Spencer  published an essay on the changes he planned on making in May of 2019. It was a powerful statement on how Xbox was going to do its part saying:

”We commit to be vigilant, proactive, and swift. Our Xbox Safety team is nicknamed the ‘Defenders of Joy’ because we will defend you in every humanly and technologically possible way, so gaming remains fun. We will identify potentials for abuse and misuse on our platform and will fix problems quickly. We are also intent on expanding the composition of our safety team so wide-ranging perspectives can help us identify future safety problems and solutions. Because hate and harassment have no place in gaming, we recently published a refreshed version of our Xbox Community Standards to communicate how each of us can keep gaming fun and safe for all and detail the consequences when any of us break these standards."

This seems fairly straightforward and, honestly, like a wonderful place to start. Yet, I still cannot play a single game of Call of Duty without being harassed. And yes, I report them every time. Same with my favorite game, Ark: Survival Evolved, insane amounts of hate speech and threats reported and NOTHING done. Spencer made us a commitment, and he needs to uphold that to secure his brand's integrity and support his consumer base. 

Streamers Face Racism, Sexism and Homophobia

Whenever I talk to my Black peers, the conversation is the same. Where is the harassment enforcement? It goes double for my women of color peers and triple for the LGBTQIA folks. As gamers and creators, we NEED these platforms, and they need us too. They should be protecting their broadcasters and users, rather than hiding behind automated emails. 

I reached out to a couple of Black content creators I know have been vocal about the change we need to see. RayApollo, a content creator on Twitch, had this to say: 

“There is so much that companies could be doing to protect users from online harassment. If they worked as hard to protect the people that use their services as they do to protect copyrighted music we might not need to be having these conversations. This isn’t to say protecting intellectual properties isn’t important, but people are more important.” 

I couldn't agree more.

The frustrations are palpable in the community, and a lot of us feel helpless to combat these issues. For many streamers, this is the way we support ourselves and how we destress and socialize. 

“Online harassment has been a problem since the invention of the internet,” streamer and podcaster Parris Lilly told me. “Allowing people to be anonymous, empowers them to say  whatever they want, without penalty or accountability for their actions. More recently, we have seen online harassment becoming rampant in the online gaming space on platforms such as Twitch, Xbox Live, Stream, etc. where the moment you are identified to be a person of color, a woman, or LGBTQ, the harassment begins until the person is forced to leave.”

Shaming Twitch on Twitter Brings Results

With newer problems such as hate raids, (where hundreds of users join a streamer live and leave their chats overwhelmed with hateful slurs) and follow botting, (where a user sends bots that create endless accounts to follow the user, which is against Twitch’s terms of service and can result in the victim being banned), many Twitch streamers have taken their complaints to Twitter in the hope of garnering a response. When facing public pressure on social media, Twitch has, in fact, banned users in the past. Honestly, that's the least we cam ask for.

Real Solutions Mean Real Bans

Moving forward, we need some real protections in place that are stern, like IP bans, so users cannot create multiple accounts for harassment. We need a way to prevent users from making hate speech-based usernames and gamertags. Just enforcing those two things would result in a huge step toward making these streaming platforms safer. 

YouTube has its own issues that are very similar in nature, except its enforcement seems the most lax of all. Even its issues with controversial content are widely known in the gaming community. YouTube has a 3-strike rule that is VERY broad and allows quite a bit of wiggle room. 

YouTube’s policy states, “If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an email to let you know. If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll get a warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we’ll issue a strike against your channel. If you get 3 strikes, your channel will be terminated”. Not exactly a firm stance as they claim to have in their guidelines found here.

Better Tools, Cooperation Are Key

The thing is, as gamers, we know how toxic some of these communities can be, and we don’t expect these platforms to catch them all. But what we do expect is that, when we provide credible evidence of harassment, that they ban the offenders based on their own guidelines.

Lilly, who has more than 18 years of experience in the gaming industry, has been leading the discussion about online harassment on both social media and the Gamertag Radio podcast. He believes that better tools must go along with tougher enforcement.

“Everything starts with accountability, and until people are held accountable for their actions the harassment will continue,” he said.  

“The owners of these platforms must implement the tools to allow victims of harassment to report incidents, and once it has been reported, we need proper investigations conducted. And, if a person is found guilty of harassment, the punishment must be swift and it needs to be severe [enough] to hold the offender accountable.

Punishments should involve instant bans for an extended period of time and they must happen at a network level that includes their account, IP address and even MAC address to drive the point home that online harassment is not welcome on their platform.

When a ban occurs,it needs to be communicated to the overall community to make everyone aware that reporting harassment works and will not be tolerated. We also need to see all platform owners united with universal policies, so if you are banned on Xbox Live, then you are also banned on Steam, PlaystationNetwork, Twitch, etc.The only way we defeat online harassment is by doing it together.” 

This to me is a clear and comprehensive approach that these companies could easily cooperate around. Truly banning harassment would be monumental in encouraging more people to utilize these platforms and could go a long way in strengthening creator relationships.

Demanding Change from Twitch and Others

The survival of these platforms depends on us using them. By default, we have the power to demand change from these businesses. Customer service matters, and these companies not enforcing their policies is doing a disservice to customers.

Accountability must be something we as consumers take seriously as well. I have faith that more companies are holding themselves to a higher standard in the past few months, and I hope that, before the year ends, we see tangible action from companies like Twitch and Xbox. Internet call-out culture exposed internal harassment at Ubisoft, so perhaps it will also force streaming and gaming platforms to take a closer look in the mirror. 

Despite a down economy, 2020 has been a year of growth for the industry, and I can only hope that companies take some of their profits and invest them in creating safer, more welcoming communities. I’m looking forward to the day when we can focus on the joy of gaming without wading into a cesspool of racism, sexism and homophobia.

Until then, guard yourself online as best you can and report the offenders repeatedly. Change doesn’t happen in a day, but if we make our voices heard, I know it's going to come.

Note: As with all of our op-eds, the opinions expressed here belong to the writer alone and not Tom's Hardware as a team.

Game streaming to Twitch on a PC is much simpler than with a console, because, if you have the right hardware, you can play the game, broadcast and run your chat from the same computer. Below, we’ll explain what you need and how to get started streaming PC games to Twitch. 

What You Need to Stream PC Games to Twitch 

• A capable PC: Though the recommended specs will vary, based on the game and settings you wish to play at. We recommend that you use a system with at least a 6-core CPU (e.g. Ryzen 5 1600 or Core i5-8400 or better), 16GB RAM, and a graphics card from the past two generations (RX 570 or GTX 1060 or better). While playing League of Legends doesn’t require a lot of high-end specs on a PC, streaming needs more horsepower. Using GPU assisted encoding can help a lot, and Nvidia's most recent Turing architecture GPUs (GTX 1650 Super or above) can beat CPU encoding quality with very little performance hit.

• Your PC should also exceed the minimum specs for any game you want to play and stream. Check Can You Run It or Google to find the minimum and recommended system requirements, and ideally, you want to meet the recommended specs.

• Multiple monitors: It’s hard to play a game and view chat on one monitor. For the most comfortable and efficient stream, two monitors at a minimum are necessary. Use one for your full-screen game, the second for your chat, and alerts. If you have a third display, that can monitor your recording software.

• Headset: The best gaming headsets offer great quality audio for gaming and also have some noise-canceling abilities for chat.

• Microphone (optional): Though any old headset mic will do, one of the best gaming microphones will give you better audio quality.

• Webcam: In order for your audience to see your reactions, you’ll need a camera, preferably one of the best webcams. However, many of the top models have been in high demand during this pandemic.

• OBS Studio Software: This is a free download.

Setting Up to Stream PC Games to Twitch 

1. Create a Twitch.tv account. Navigate to over Twitch.tv and set up a login. If you have Amazon Prime, you can link it to Twitch. Doing so ensures free perks like games and in-game loot boxes.  

2. Download and install OBS. 

3. Connect OBS to your Twitch channel by navigating to File - Settings - Stream - Connect Account.  

You can also connect by copying and pasting the stream key into OBS. The stream key is in your channel's Preferences menu. 

4. Create an overlay in StreamElements, the graphical template that will go on top of your Twitch stream. OBS gives you a lot of freedom in building your stream overlay. Overlay building websites like StreamElements and StreamLabs integrate seamlessly with OBS.

5. Click the link button in StreamElements, after you’ve completed making your overlay.

You will now see the link is copied to your clipboard in the lower right-hand corner.

6. Right-click on Scenes in the lower-left corner of OBS and select Add. 

7. Name your new scene Overlay and hit Ok. 

Add the overlay from StreamElements by right-clicking in Sources and selecting Add -> Browser and then pasting in the URL you copied from StreamElements. Resize the width and the height to the same dimensions as your overlay and click OK. 

You’ll now see your overlay. Whether you’re building an overlay yourself or importing it from StreamElements, adding the process is the same, right-clicking Scenes, and adding an image, video, gifs, or text. If you’d like to solely add your stream alerts because you’re building your overlay on your own, add the alerts’ URL to Browser. It will go invisible because it activates when someone follows, subscribes, or hosts you. 

8. Add your webcam as a media source. Right-click on Sources and select Add -> Video Capture Device.  

9. Select “Create new” and give your camera a name. 

You’ll then get a list of settings for your camera and a preview. You can adjust these and then click Ok.  

A great addition to a webcam is lighting. It’s essential to have lighting to highlight your features. Standing lightboxes, a ring light, or any type of lighting increases your production value. It helps your camera to function at it’s highest capability. 

10. Add your microphone if you have one. A stand-alone microphone is a good investment for a streaming career. It allows a better sound quality output and a polished look. Having a mic leaves your headset free for party chats on your console. Adding a microphone to OBS is easy because it recognizes the mic and will create a channel for it under Audio Mixer. It does the same thing when it recognizes the Desktop audio is available.  

If there is more audio you’d like to capture, you can manually add it in Sources by right-clicking- Add- Audio Input or Output Capture.  

11. Broadcast your game by right-clicking Sources and selecting Game Capture -> Full-Screen Application. There will be a list of applications; click the game you’re playing. In this case, the game is Rogue Company.  

If you’d like to change your game, for example from Rogue Company to CounterStrike: Global Offense, there’s no need to create another source. It’s easier to right-click Game Capture - Preferences then select the full-screen application you would like to display. 

12. Start your Livestream on Twitch. Your Twitch account is connected to OBS. To start your live stream click the Start Stream button in the lower right-hand corner. You can edit your stream title and game on your Twitch Stream Manager. 

These are all the tools it takes to stream on PC. The place where you’ll spend the most time is getting your overlay to look how you want. Many streamers tweak their overlays often to match the games or seasons. With software like OBS and StreamElements, you can add as many overlays as you’d like without having to delete any. And you can take your overlays anywhere by saving them so, if you’re streaming from a new PC, you don’t have to rebuild your overlay or re-add your alerts.

Now is as good a time as any to get into streaming. Whether you want to share music with the world, color while your viewers watch or have epic fails in your favorite video game, there’s an audience out there to watch and possibly even some money to be made. But to broadcast to that audience, you need a streaming platform. 

While Twitch is, by the far, the most popular service, it may not be the best option for you. To help you find the best platform for how you stream, we’ve compared Twitch against three key competitors: Facebook Gaming, Caffeine TV and YouTube Gaming. 

Twitch.TV 

A service almost as synonymous with streaming as Google is with web search, Twitch transformed from a live DJ service to a popular video game streaming platform, then into a live streaming service for music, art, gaming, STEM and more. This platform is a little more complicated to use than some competitors,though.

You can obtain “Affiliate” status after cultivating a community, keeping to a steady schedule, gaining frequent viewers and applying. Affiliates have access to monetization tools and streaming capabilities that regular streamers do not. After becoming an affiliate, you may be selected as a Twitch Partner if your channel gets significant engagement. According to Twitch, there only 27,000 of the 2.2 million streamers on its service are Twitch Partners. 

Setup: Streaming on Twitch requires a program like OBS, XSplit or Elgato Game Capture. If you’re streaming from a console, you’ll need a capture card on your PC to take the input. 

No matter what platform you game on, you will need a stream key to make it work with your software. Many third-party sites offer overlay graphics that go on top of your feed and contain information, such as your social media data, latest followers, tips and subscriber count. Although your gaming PC may be able to run a stream at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second (fps), Twitch doesn’t run streams at that level unless you’re a Twitch Partner.

Special Features: Twitch provides customizable extensions specific to your software platform. This makes it easier for you to showcase your stream schedule and keep up with top donators, latest followers and subscribers. 

Every time a viewer subscribes to your channel, they get a set of emotes made especially for that channel. Emotes are like badges of honor to subscribers. Subscribers use various emotes in chats all across Twitch to show off the communities to which they belong.

Twitch integrates with Amazon, making it easy to sign up. Having Amazon Prime gives you more perks on Twitch, including free games and downloadable content (DLC). The interface, Creator Dashboard, helps keep track of how close you are to obtaining Affiliate or Twitch Partner status. Here is also where streamers monitor their chat, number of viewers, create clips and use emotes. With Twitch’s Creator Dashboard, it’s easy to create, trim and download clips. 

Monetization: With a constant stream schedule and a few viewers, you can reach Affiliate status on Twitch. Affiliate status allows streamers to start making money from ads that run during their videos. Once you’re an affiliate, viewers can subscribe to your channel, drop tips to you in the form of bits and get special badges that show they’re a part of the community. 

Twitch pays out every 30 days when revenue hits $100. A subscription to one channel is $4.99 a month; however, streamers only get half of that.  

Audience Building:  Twitch doesn’t make it easy to find people it isn’t promoting, so expect to be on your own in terms of building a Twitch audience. I personally recommend building an audience outside of Twitch and carrying them over. 

Facebook Gaming 

Since Mixer’s demise, Facebook Gaming has welcomed former Mixer streamers with open arms. This is good news for Facebook, which is seeing a growth of streamers on its platform. By December 2019, Facebook Gaming had already grown by 210%, according to Venturebeat. Mixer had approximately two billion gamers on their site -- even if a fraction of its streamers head to Facebook, that’d be notable growth for Facebook Gaming in 2020. 

Setup: Facebook’s interface for live streaming games is similar to going live on a personal profile. Access to Facebook Gaming is as easy as creating a Like Page and setting it to Gamer Content Creator. 

The gaming portion of Facebook is for all streaming gaming-related content. The URL is Facebook.com/games/ or FB.GG. 

To stream video games, streamers need to have recording software,like XSplit, Elgato Game Capture or Open Broadcast Software (OBS). Note that there are many versions of OBS that integrate with other software, like StreamElements and StreamLabs. When OBS integrates with the software it enables quick access to media requests, moderating chat and stream information. Facebook Gaming connects to your software with a stream key. 

Special Features: The Level Up program is unique to Facebook gamers, and joining unlocks features, including the ability to monetize gaming streams. Before entering the program, streamers aren’t able to monetize their content. This isn’t the same thing as being a Facebook Gaming Partner but can lead to it. Think of Level Up as being for consistent streamers. To be invited, you have to stream for 4 hours within 14 weeks. 

Facebook’s Creator Studio, meanwhile, is a place to manage clips of gameplay, trim videos and post your clips. Facebook Gaming is convenient because it lets you access the Creator Studio and its other features in one place. 

Monetization: Once in the Level Up program, viewers support their favorite streamers by giving them stars; each star is worth 1 cent. Once you reach the Partner level, not only do you still have access to stars but now viewers are able to subscribe to your channel at $4.99 a month. There is no clear path to becoming a Partner; Facebook reaches out to individuals it thinks should join the program. 

Audience Building: Facebook Gaming allows you to bring over the audience you’ve cultivated from your personal profile. Since the games are categorized, someone could find your stream browsing through Facebook’s listings. Once an audience profile is built up, Facebook will suggest streamers to the target audience.  

Caffeine.TV 

The drawback is that there is no way to create clips, rewatch streams, or save footage without using a third-party application. Caffeine’s clout comes from showcasing famous rappers, like Offset, rap battles and gaming content. 

Setup: Caffeine.TV has its own capture card software for PC but can also integrate with third-party apps, such as OBS. Integrating with OBS allows streamers to play any game on console or PC. Otherwise, you’ll have to rely on the list of approved games to stream. 

To use a separate broadcasting system, one that perhaps has an overlay, the software must be viewed in fullscreen. Then, Caffeine will place an overlay on the game showing the chat log.

Special Features: Joining the Caffeine Discord has its perks. You’ll receive the latest updates, be able to speak with other streamers on the platform and get information on how to join the Caster Program. Streamers in the Caster Program can win prizes for streaming, are featured on the front page and get ‘gold’ monthly to spend on themselves or others on the platform. 

The next level is Caffeine Partner. These streamers’ chat log displays messages in real time; blink and you’ll miss it. 

It’s easier to stand out on Caffeine because most streamers there are playing the same games, i.e. Fornite or Apex Legends. So if you like to stream Borderlands, which is rarely streamed on this platform, the chance of someone looking through that category and finding you is high. 

Monetization: The reward system for streamers is a classic favorite: stickers. Viewers pay for stickers with gold currency. After a Caster Program member generates $200 worth of gold, they are allowed to cash out with a payment site, like PayPal, for real money. 

Audience Building: A lot of the people on the platform are known popular personalities, influencers and celebrities. They usually have time slots that are showcased and promoted, so new streamers aren’t competing with them. 

The navigation on Caffeine isn’t strong when it comes to audience building, but it has come a long way.

YouTube Gaming 

YouTube Gaming is another platform with an interesting history. The gaming portion of YouTube used to be a separate site just for gamers and gaming content, but that’s no longer the case as YouTube Gaming streamers are now merged with the rest of the site. That’s not necessarily a bad thing apparently:The total watch hours of YouTube Gaming increased by 46% in 2019, according to Newsweek. 

Setup: It’s easy to stream live on YouTube, as well as upload pre-recorded videos. The interface isn’t flashy, but it’s simple to understand and use. The cool and efficient thing about streaming on YouTube is that your video is already uploaded when you’re done. 

Whether playing from PC or a console, you’ll need recording software for an enjoyable experience. The only medium that can go live without any software is a cell phone, which is great for mobile games. 

Special Features: If your computer can output 1080p streams, YouTube will let you run them, no questions asked. That differs from Facebook and Twitch, which require you to obtain the Level Up and Affiliate status, respectively, to gain access to 1080p streams. 

Monetization: New streamers can monetize their streams by adding Google AdSense. There's a YouTube Partner program, which offers better monetization, but you'll need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 views to join.  

Audience Building: If you’re a master of SEO and optimize your videos accordingly, you have a chance to build an audience on YouTube. However, the platform doesn’t make it easy enough to promote its streamers or to help viewers to find livestreams in a sea of pre-recorded videos.   

Bottom Line

All four of these streaming platforms work well for streamers who have a plan. If you like a simple, clean interface, and want the best return on your investment right in the short term, Caffeine.TV is for you. But if you love graphics, alerts and want a fancy stream, go with Twitch -- even though it has the worst monetization features. 

Facebook Gaming is the best option if Facebook is already where you spend most of your time crafting a community. In that case, it’ll be easy to monetize and grow with great FHD clips. 

YouTube-savvy users will find a lot to like in that platform, particularly if you already have a channel with subscribers. It’s easy to set up a stream schedule and have your subscribers in attendance. 

If you’re not sure which platform you prefer, it’s simple enough to try a few different ones. Once you get familiar with one service, it'll be easy to navigate through the others and discover which feels most natural for you. 

When you’re watching streamers on Twitch or YouTube, the best ones usually have expensive setups. They can be complicated to build and can include multiple computers, capture cards, lighting and microphones. The Corsair Vengeance a4100 ($1,999.99 as tested, $1,799.99 to start) will get you on your way to that type of setup. It’s a capable Ryzen and Nvidia RTX-powered gaming rig that has a powerful Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 capture card built in. If you want a gaming rig, this is up for the job, making it one of the best gaming PCs for a niche market. And if you want it to stream consoles or other PCs, the system can do it too. 

Design of Corsair Vengeance a4100

The Vengeance PC a4100 is taller than Corsair’s previous efforts. Until now, all of the Vengeance-branded desktops had been in the Crystal Series 280X RGB case. This one is built in the Corsair iCue 220T RGB Tempered Glass Mid-Tower Smart Case. It’s a somewhat compact mid-tower with dark tempered-glass side and front panels, which make for some dramatic RGB effects. There’s a magnetic dust filter on top, as well as one on the bottom and in front of the intake fans.

There are four SP120 RGB Pro Fans in the case, including one attached to the CPU cooler. The rest of the RGB comes from the Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 RAM. Out of the box, ours was running some cool flashing lightning effects, although Corsair opted for a CPU cooler without RGB on the pump and a GPU without any lighting. So there is a large gap of darkness inside the case.

I did have one problem with the build quality/assembly: The motherboard I/O shield had some tabs that were in the way of some ports, and the motherboard, while aligned, was too far from some ports. In particular, tabs over the USB Type-C port kept me from accessing it. When I went to plug in my webcam, which has a USB-C connector, it kept falling out. In this case, I couldn't reach it and would have to take the computer apart just to get the shield aligned properly. For a $2,000 prebuilt PC, this is extremely annoying. It’s not the first build quality issue we’ve seen from Corsair of late (we had problems with the Wi-Fi antennas on the Vengeance 6182), and it’s hard to know if these are one-off problems or a sign of bigger issues. It also made me wish that Corsair offered USB Type-C on the front panel.

Corsair’s desktop measures 17.7 x 15.6 x 8.3 inches. The HP Omen Obelisk is a bit smaller at 17.1 x 14.1 x 6.5 inches, though as you’ll see in the Ports and Upgradeability section, this will be easier to customize. Corsair’s own Vengeance 6182 Gaming PC is 15.6 x 14 x 11 inches, which is shorter but wider. The Zotac Mek Mini is 10.4 x 5.4 x 10.2 inches, which could more easily fit on a desk. 

Corsair Vengeance a4100 Specifications 

Ports and Upgradeability

On the top of the a4100’s case are a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and a combination headphone/microphone jack. On the rear, there is a PS/2 port for older peripherals, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a pair of USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A and one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports, Ethernet and audio ports. The motherboard has DVI and HDMI outputs, while the GPU offers an HDMI output and three DisplayPorts. Our model also comes with an Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 capture card, adding HDMI in and an HDMI passthrough.

To remove the left tempered glass side panel, there are four thumbscrews. That will get you easy access to add RAM, swap out the CPU, water cooler, GPU or fans. The Asus Prime B450 Plus motherboard has four RAM slots, and only two were utilized in our review unit. There’s also a single m.2 slot for an SSD, which was used for our boot drive.

To get to the back, there are two thumbscrews on the back of the right side panel. Those can be opened with either your fingers or a screwdriver. Removing that allows you to get to the hard drive cage, power supply, two 2.5-inch SSD mounts (these were empty in our system) to add storage, as well as the case’s preinstalled RGB controller.

These are entirely standardized parts. Like other Vengeance PCs before it, this one feels like you built it yourself. At least, you could pass it off that way.

Gaming and Graphics

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Ventus GP OC don’t slouch when it comes to gaming. I took one of my testing mainstays, Control, set it to 1080p, ramped up the settings to high and set ray-tracing to high as well. The game ran around 46 frames per second during combat scenarios.

On the Grand Theft Auto V benchmark (very high settings), the Vengeance a4100 ran the game at 100 fps at 1080p and 33 fps at 4K. It outperformed the Vengeance 6182, an all-AMD machine with a Radeon RX 5700 XT, but lost out to both the Mek Mini (RTX 2070 Super) and Omen Obelisk (RTX 2080 Ti).

When it came to Shadow of the Tomb Raider (highest settings), it ran at 89 fps at 1080p and 30 fps at 4K. Again, it slightly outperformed the 6182. The Mek Mini was only behind by a frame or two, but the Obelisk outperformed.

On Far Cry New Dawn (ultra), the Corsair streaming desktop ran at 96 fps at 1080p and 56 fps in 4K. The Mek Mini and Vengeance 6182 fell behind here, but again the higher specced Omen won out.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is still a punishing benchmark, even when we run it on medium. The Vengeance a4100 ran it at 59 fps at 1080p but 21 fps in 4K. The other Vengeance, the 6182, performed similarly. The Omen Obelisk was tested before RDR2 became part of our test suite.

We also subjected the Vengeance a4100 to our Metro Exodus gauntlet, in which we run it at the RTX preset 15 times to simulate roughly half an hour of gaming. On the test, the Vengeance ran the game at an average of 66 frames per second. In a number of the back half of the runs, it went as low as 65.8 fps.

During the Metro Exodus runs, the CPU ran at an average clock speed of 4.1 GHz and an average temperature of 71.1 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Fahrenheit). The GPU’s average clock speed was 1.5 GHz, with an average temperature of 67.4 degrees Celsius (153.3 degrees Fahrenheit). 

Streaming 

Our particular model of the Vengeance a4100 had an Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 Capture Card plugged into the motherboard and ready to go. I took another desktop and ramped up the settings on Grand Theft Auto V as high as they go, then streamed some of the game to Twitch. Viewers who were watching it at 1080p60 said there were no issues at all. While I was streaming, I also recorded some of my playback, and it, too, looked great.

There is a question as to whether you need this. A powerful computer like this one could undoubtedly stream on its own using OBS or other solutions, like Nvidia’s own GameStream. But the capture card can assist in multi camera setups, and could be more flexible when streaming from consoles or other sources.

Productivity Performance 

Beyond gaming, the AMD Ryzen 3700X, paired with 16GB of storage and an NVMe SSD makes for a fine productivity machine.

On Geekbench 4.3, the Vengeance a4100 earned a score of 32,583. That’s quite close to Corsair’s other Ryzen-based machine, the Vengeance 6182 with the same CPU (33,188) and better than the Mek Mini (26,882, Core i7-9700). The HP Omen Obelisk (34,167, with an Intel Core i9-9900K) came out on top.

It took the Vengeance a4100 7 seconds to copy 4.97GB of files, which translates to 727 MBps. All of the competing desktops were faster at this task.

On our Handbrake video transcoding test, it took the Vengeance 6 minutes and 19 seconds to convert a 4K video to 1080p. The Vengeance 6182 was slightly faster (6:07) while the Obelisk (5:31) took the crown here.

Software and Warranty 

There isn’t a ton of software preinstalled on the Vengeance a4100. The most notable application is iCue, which lets you control the RGB lighting in the system and with any supported Corsair accessories. It also includes a dashboard to monitor system statistics and temperatures.

Corsair Diagnostics is powered by PC Doctor, and lets you check the status of your hardware, security and updates. There’s also a link in the Windows 10 Start menu to Corsair’s website with a guide to streaming, but as of this writing that website is having some CSS issues.

Notably, Corsair’s image of Windows 10 Home doesn’t seem to have a lot of the bloat that typically comes preinstalled with the operating system. No Candy Crush here.

Corsair sells the Vengeance a4100 with a 2-year warranty.

Corsair Vengeance a4100 Configurations 

We tested the Corsair Vengeance a4100, a $1,999.99 PC with an AMD Ryzen 4700X, MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Ventus GP OC, 16GB of RAM, a 480GB SSD and a 2TB HDD. It also comes with an Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 capture card built in for streaming.

The base model switches out the storage for a single 960GB PCIe NVMe SSD and drops the capture card, but is otherwise the same at $1,799.99.

There is also an Intel variant, the Vengeance i4200. That model uses the same RAM as the AMD model, but the base device uses 16GB and costs $2,399, while the 32GB option costs $2,449.

Both of those use Intel’s Z490 platform and Intel Core i7-10700KF. They have the same case, cooling and power supply. But again, these use only a single 960GB NVMe SSD. Both are using an MSI RTX 2080 Supers, rather than the 2070 Super in the AMD models. The i4200 also uses MSI Z490-A Pro motherboards rather than Asus options. 

Neither Intel model come with the option to include a capture card.

Buy or Build? 

The Vengeance a4100 is one of a few desktops we’ve reviewed with entirely standardized parts that you can buy separately (including the case). That means if you’re willing to buy all of the parts separately and assemble them yourself, you could see some savings.

As of this writing, the parts needed to build the configuration of the Vengeance we reviewed cost roughly $2,215.75 before tax (this sum includes a full-price Windows 10 Home license, too, though there are ways to get Windows cheaper if you want to risk it). In this case, you actually save money by buying prebuilt, and every part is subject to the same two year warranty. 

Bottom Line 

If you were looking for a prebuilt desktop for a high-end streaming production, the Vengeance a4100 has everything you need out of the box. With standardized parts and a capture card, you can treat this like a PC you built and upgrade it down the line.

If you’re more of an amateur streamer, the capture card may be unnecessary, in which case you could look at something like the Corsair Vengeance 6182 or HP Omen Obelisk, which offer similar or better gaming power, though you won’t get much in the way of savings. They’re priced similarly or, on some configurations, higher.

Our one worry is the one port on the motherboard that we couldn’t access. For a $1,999.99 system, that’s a huge pain in the butt, and frankly something we’d expect companies much smaller than Corsair to be able to avoid when building a PC. But assuming that most of the company’s systems are built with more care than a rushed-out review unit, that hopefully won’t be an issue for potential buyers.

If you’re stuck at home looking to start a streaming career, the Vengeance a4100 has everything you need in one box. If you’re not into streaming, it’s a powerful gaming rig, too. 

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The PC Gaming Show and Future Games Show are joining forces to showcase 90+ games in a spectacular double bill of programming this Saturday June 13th. Powered by our sister sites PC Gamer and GamesRadar respectively, the shows will contain a mix of world premieres, updates and interviews - plus some surprises - when they’re broadcast on Twitch and YouTube this Saturday, starting at 11am Pacific. You’ll be able to see all the most exciting games on PC and console this 2020 and beyond in one place thanks to this amazing double-bill event.

The PC Gaming Show is now in its sixth year, and was hailed by Vice as the ‘best E3 conference’ in 2019. Hosts Sean "Day9" Plott and Frankie Ward return -  alongside a special ‘mystery host’ to be revealed during the show - with announcements including Rocketwerkz founder Dean Hall about what's coming next from the studio, a Torchlight 3 surprise, and a brand-new trailer from Dusk and Amid Evil publisher New Blood Interactive. More than 50 games will appear in the show from developers including 2K Games, Amazon Games, Rebellion, Sega and Xseed Games. The show is normally broadcast live, but this year will be pre-recorded from a custom LA studio. 

The Future Games Show is an all-new showcase of the best console, streaming and mobile games from our sister site GamesRadar+. The show will be hosted by Nolan North and Emily Rose, of Uncharted series fame, and will feature over 40 games, including seven world premieres and some surprises from developers including Square Enix, Modus Games, Team 17, Curve Digital and more. As the name suggests, the Future Games show will feature a special spotlight on the future of gaming - with insight from leading developers in areas such as visuals, audio, machine learning and storytelling - to create a clearer picture of what we can expect from PS5 and Xbox Series X. 

How to Watch the PC Gaming Show and Future Games Show

First up, we have the PC Gaming Show, broadcast on Twitch and YouTube this Saturday June 13 from 11am Pacific (2pm EDT / 7pm BST). The PC Gaming Show will end shortly after 1pm Pacific, and then we’re straight into the countdown to the Future Games Show which begins on Twitch and YouTube at 2pm Pacific (5pm EDT / 10pm BST). The Future Games Show will wrap around 3.30pm Pacific, and you can head to PC Gamer and GamesRadar for more on all the featured games. 

Pacific Time (Los Angeles)
10.30 AM - PC Gaming Pre-Show begins

11.00 AM - PC Gaming Show begins

01.15 PM - Future Games Show countdown begins

02.00 PM - Future Games Show begins

You can follow the links below to set a handy reminder for both shows on your favored streaming platform:

PC Gaming Show Stream Links
Twitch / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter. Also live on IGN.com and Steam.

Future Games Show Stream Links
Twitch / YouTube / Facebook

Stay tuned to Tom's Hardware for the biggest news and announcements from both shows, and follow @gamesradar and @PCGamer on Twitter for the latest updates.

The PC Gaming Show will feature 50 games from developers including:
 

• 2K Games (Mafia: Definitive Edition)
• All in! Games
• Amazon Games (New World)
• Atlus
• Battlestate Games (Escape From Tarkov)
• Bossa Studios (Surgeon Simulator 2)
• Brace Yourself Games
• Coffee Stain Studios
• Dontnod
• Funcom
• FJRD
• Frontier Developments
• Glumberland (Ooblets)
• Humble Games
• Nacon
• New Blood Interactive
• Merge Games
• Modus Games
• Mythical
• Perfect World (Torchlight 3, Remnant: From the Ashes)
• The Wandering Band
• Rebellion
• Red Sails Team
• Rocketwerkz
• Rockfish Games (Everspace 2)
• Sega
• Tripwire Interactive
• WolfEye Studios (Weird West)
• Xseed Games
• Yaza Games

The Future Games Show will feature over 40 games from developers including: 

• Square Enix 
• Team 17
• tinyBuild, 
• Deep Silver 
• Curve Digital 
• Merge Games 
• Modus Games
• Red Thread Games
• Walkabout Games 
• Raw Fury 
• Hi-Rez Studios
• Devolver Digital
• One More Level
• Hitcents
• Private Division
• Frogwares
• Thunderbox Entertainment
• Wales Interactive

If you're looking to connect with others during quarantine, this Twitch controlled Raspberry Pi robot project is a fun way to do it. It was created and shared by Reddit user Omantn, and lets users work together to steer a Pi-based robot around his backyard.

The robot is built on top of a Raspberry Pi 4. The more memory you can dedicate to this sort of project the better when it comes to performance, making the Pi 4 an ideal candidate. The Pi receives directional input based on votes tallied from users on Twitch.

The robot is totally wireless, using a 30,000 mah battery pack strapped to the bottom of the chassis with velcro. The yard is streamed live using a camera so users can easily watch the little guy on Twitch.

Omantn created a custom C# script to scan the Twitch chat for votes. The votes are tallied every 15 seconds before sending a command to the robot to move in the elected direction. You can explore the Twitch driving code on Github.

If you want to check out this Pi robot, or maybe even give it a spin, check out the official stream on Twitch. You can follow Omantn on Reddit for future projects and more details on this one.

Unfortunately, this smoking deal is sold out, but head to our Cyber Monday Tech deals page for more deals.

Here’s a Black Friday deal for everyone’s favorite, highly-wanted but not-quite-necessary desk accessory: the Elgato Stream Deck. Normally it retails for about $149, but Amazon’s thrown it on a Black Friday deal down to $99.99. Be quick though, because the deal will expire in less than a day -- or whenever inventory runs out.

Elgato’s Stream Deck is essentially a glorified Macro board, though calling it that is a disservice. Rather than coming with 15 simple macro buttons, it comes with 15 buttons, each having a little LCD screen below it that can display whatever you need it to.

All the buttons are customizable, and the unit is built to integrate into Twitch, Twitter, YouTube, and a whole host of other streaming and media platforms. Each ‘Macro’ can also be customized very extensively, making one key-press start a string of actions across multiple programs to streamline your workflow.

Most of us don't strictly need the Elgato Stream Deck, but it sure is nice to have and makes your desk look more interesting.

Nvidia today announced RTX Broadcast Engine, which it described as "a new set of RTX-accelerated software development kits that use the AI capabilities of GeForce RTX GPUs to transform livestreams," ahead of the annual gathering of the world's top streamers at TwitchCon 2019.

The company said that RTX Broadcast Engine utilizes the Tensor Cores found in its RTX GPUs to "enable virtual green screens, style filters and augmented reality effects" without requiring dedicated equipment. Those features could allow rising streamers to improve their production values without requiring a significant upfront investment that could easily be lost if they fail to find success in the somewhat unpredictable field.

Nvidia also partnered with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) to make RTX Greenscreen available to all of the popular streaming app's users. The company plans to show off the green screen feature at TwitchCon 2019 and said it will debut in "the coming months." It's not yet clear when the other SDKs revealed alongside RTX Broadcast Engine--the aptly named RTX AR and RTX Style Filters--will be released to the public.

Developers have also brought support for the Nvidia Video Codec SDK (used "for fast, high-quality streaming") to three more apps. It's now integrated in the Twitch Studio broadcasting app that debuted in August, the Go Live feature used to stream via Discord and the Elgato Game Capture Software used to record 4K HDR content at 60 frames per second with the new 4K60 Pro MK.2 capture card.

More information about the RTX Broadcast Engine can be found on Nvidia's developer website. Devs can apply for early access to the SDKs now, and Nvidia will present its "RTX Greenscreen in OBS, new RTX Studio laptops and upcoming RTX games" at the OBS booth at TwitchCon. 

Corsair markets the M55 RGB Pro as a mouse that should appeal to any gamer, no matter if they’re left or right-handed. With a design that lets you take advantage of its supple form in either style of play, it’s a mouse that, from the outset at least, looks to be more than comfortable for even the longest of gaming binges.

There’s no fuss here, no gaudy shapes, or ridiculous illuminations, despite the RGB. It’s a refined take on what a mouse should be. Yet, to those that see the gaming mouse as an essential bit of hardware that can mean the difference between victory and defeat, the M55 RGB Pro may seem somewhat uninspired.

Despite its simplistic design, there's a lot of intuitive features tucked away here that can make the M55 RGB Pro a worthwhile addition to any gamer’s arsenal. Take the sensor for example. Corsair’s packing in a PixART PMW3327 optical sensor, which features a max CPI (counts per inch, sometimes called DPI) of 12,400, can trundle along at 5.5 meters per second / 220 IPS (inches per second, or the max velocity at which your sensor can still track those counts) and has a max acceleration of 30 g-force, meaning for a budget mouse, this thing is capable of some seriously high precision, regardless of how quickly you’re tearing it across the desk.

Couple that with a number of customizable buttons and a robust, yet light, design, and you’re left with a mouse, that should turn some budget-seekers' heads.

The M55 RGB Pro at the time of writing has an MSRP of $39.99 / £45, but we're seeing it for as low as $32/£29.99. That’s a seriously aggressive price point for a Corsair mouse and one that puts it in the same league as SteelSeries’ Rival 110, which looks very similar to our review subject. Let’s be realistic though, for that kind of money, you can’t go expect the M55 is going to be a customizable, modular gaming mouse with more buttons than you have blood cells. On the other hand, you shouldn't expect cheap, corner-cutting simplicity either, especially from Corsair. 

Corsair M55 RGB Pro Specs

Design and Comfort

Corsair claims that the M55 RGB Pro is comfortable to use no matter which hand you use or what kind of grip you favor, be it palm, claw or fingertip. At 4.9 x 2.3 x 1.6 inches (124.4 x 57.3 x 40mm), this is a mid-sized mouse that will fit comfortably in almost anyone’s hand. It certainly felt more than apt for us, and the design and shape of the mouse is instantly familiar to anyone who has picked up an ambidextrous design before.

In fact, it looks a heck of a lot like another budget gaming mouse, the SteelSeries Rival 110 ($23/£25 at the time of writing), except for one key difference. While the Rival 110 only has additional buttons on the left-hand side (a strange choice for an ambidextrous mouse), the M55 RGB Pro has two buttons on each side by the thumb rest. This symmetrical design ensures comfort for both hands, and, of course, it also means you get two extra buttons compared to the Rival 110 –- if you don’t mind reaching for them.

As with pretty much every gaming peripheral released these days, the M55 RGB Pro packs in that cliche RGB lighting, which you can adjust using Corsair's free iCUE software. Only two parts of the mouse light up: the light under the scroll and the Corsair logo. The latter is often covered by your palm when in use, so the RGB lighting feels more like an afterthought, rather than something integral to the mouse’s overall look outside of a photoshoot.

Construction materials are generally very good. Either side of the body has a textured plastic finish (although it feels a bit rubbery), helping to strengthen your grip. South of the scroll wheel is a CPI switch button for letting you change the mouse's responsiveness on the fly. Without iCUE installed, it’ll increase CPI levels in 100 increments. With the software, you get six profiles, where you can configure the CPI manually.

Then there’s the weight. The M55 RGB Pro weighs in at a meager 0.2 pounds (86g). Corsair claims this helps with comfort during long-time use, but we've never had an issue with heavy gaming mice causing strain when playing. Badly positioned buttons and uncomfortable designs are far more of a problem than weight. The M55 RGB Pro is very light, and it certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste. We found that lack of weight actually gave the thing a bit of an insubstantial feel. The build quality is absolutely fine, yet it can be slightly unsettling. It’s just a bit too feathery for our tastes. And unlike some gaming mice, such as the Logitech G502 Lightspeed, there’s no way to adjust the feel of the mouse by adding extra weight internally.

Gaming Performance

Our weight issues aside, the gaming performance is very good. Switching between CPI levels is easily handled via the button under the scroll wheel, and an LED light above it changes color to indicate the profile you’re using. Each of the standard profiles makes a noticeable change in how the M55 RGB Pro feels.

Low weight combined with a high CPI made it easy to flick the M55 RGB Pro around the desk with ease. Even during  intense firefights and sessions of wrist flicking action, the sensor stayed true. We played some competitive first-person shooter (FPS) games, and this combo of lightweight and high DPI meant we could quickly pivot and fix on targets without too much worry. For fans of twitch shooters, such as Rust and CS:GO, where lightning-fast reflexes are essential, this is a brilliant mouse. However, as we mentioned earlier, the weight does take some getting used to, and at first you may find yourself overshooting where you’re aiming.

As for the ergonomics, the buttons were all within easy reach while playing. When I switched to a different game genre, where slower, more deliberate and accurate controls are needed, dropping the DPI helped provide better control.

Overall, the M55 RGB Pro excels at fast-paced games thanks to its high CPI, which is higher than most at this price point – and its lightweight nature.

Features and Software

You can plug the M55 RGB Pro into your Type-A port right away and get to gaming, but without the software you're limited to controlling the CPI level in 100 CPI increments. For more control, you’ll want to install the free Corsair iCUE software. However, it's a bit confusing at first because its user interface (UI) makes some settings hard to find.

The software has a CPI menu for tweaking the CPI profiles. You get six profiles by default but can turn off all but two of them: the Default setting and Sniper setting, which is set to the lowest CPI, 400, for accuracy. You can tweak the CPI of each level by dragging a bar, or typing in the value in the text box beside it. You can also pick the color of the RGB light above the CPI button based on the CPI level, which is handy for reinforcing muscle memory.

You can also change the Corsair logo's color and lighting effects, like having shifting or pulsing lights. You can also make the logo change color depending on the temperature of your components, such as the CPU, which is a nice touch. 

You can link up the lighting settings to other Corsair hardware you have installed with iCUE too. We got the Corsair M55 RGB Pro to sync up with some Corsair memory, headsets and keyboards fairly easily.

For more control over the mouse, you can click Settings and change the polling rate, as well as enable left-handed mode and all side buttons. By default, only the buttons on the left-hand side are enabled.

Finally, you can use the software to assign actions to each mouse button. These actions are in the form of macros, and you need to record each one. There are no pre-made actions available, so you will need to go through each action you want to record by hand, which is overly fiddly and time-consuming.

Overall, you have some good customization options with the M55 RGB Pro, but the software's clunky UI means you might miss them.

Bottom Line

The Corsair M55 RGB Pro is a decent gaming mouse for its price, but whether or not it is the right mouse for you depends on your gaming preferences. 

The lightweight design won’t be to everyone’s taste. If you want a weightier design, like the 120g Razer Naga Trinity, or a mouse you can tweak the feel of by adding or removing weights, like the Logitech G502 (up to 116g; although, that mouse is wireless), then this isn’t going to be the pointer for you. The mouse is also let down by unintuitive software that makes tweaking certain aspects of the mouse more complex than it should be.

If you want a fast and light mouse for speedy reflexes in hectic games, where a spray-and-pray tactic works best, then you’ll likely appreciate the Corsair M55 RGB Pro’s high DPI and light weight. The fact that it has a truly ambidextrous design means no matter what hand you play with, you’ll be able to use this mouse.

Photo Credits: Corsair, Tom's Hardware

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By now we've accepted that we'll never receive a letter from Hogwarts, but Intel has the next best thing with the Easy Streaming Wizard, a new program meant to simplify the Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) setup process. It's still not quite the swish-and-flick of a simple charm, but Intel claimed the Easy Streaming Wizard could save streamers hours of fiddling with OBS to ensure the highest quality broadcast their systems can support.

OBS is to streaming like Word is to word processing and Excel is to spreadsheets. There are plenty of similar programs, but OBS is essentially the default option for people streaming on services like Twitch for the first time. While its many settings can be daunting at first--especially since the user interface isn't particularly welcoming--OBS was the first app to give PC gamers a relatively straightforward way to capture their gameplay.

Here are the benefits Intel claimed the Easy Streaming Wizard could provide:

• It helps to set up a PC for streaming in minutes, not hours or days.
• It automatically configures and tunes the streaming service (Twitch, YouTube, Mixer) within the wizard.
• It optimizes Intel Core processor for encoding, sound, bandwidth and other features to determine the best streaming quality possible.
• It scales with more cores and threads to improve quality of the livestream.

The first point seems like an exaggeration, but properly configuring OBS often involves a lot of trial and error. Continuing with the Harry Potter metaphor, setting up OBS is like finding a wand, in the sense that everyone needs something different. Streamers use a variety of hardware, play different games and broadcast to disparate platforms. There isn't a one-setting-fits-all OBS configuration that can perfectly serve all those functions.

Introducing the Easy Streaming Wizard also gives Intel another way to market its processors to streamers. The company already touts its gaming performance, and last year it partnered with Streamlabs on classifying some PCs as being ready to stream. Helping people set up OBS--so long as they own an Intel processor and use Windows 10--makes it that much easier to convince first-time streamers not to buy their processors from AMD.

The Easy Streaming Wizard is available now via Intel's website. In addition to requiring Windows 10 and supported Intel processors, a full list of which is available on the program's download page, it also requires at least 8GB of memory and some kind of GPU. Intel said the program supports Twitch, YouTube and Mixer; anyone hoping to stream to other platforms will have to find their own wand. Erm, we mean, set up OBS by themselves.

Becoming a streamer isn't as easy as hitting "broadcast." People have to decide how much to invest in their hardware, to which platform they want to stream, and what software they'll use to do so.

Twitch has announced Twitch Studio, its own streaming app. It refers to it as "an all-in-one streaming app for new streamers that cuts down on the guesswork to setup a quality stream and makes it easier to engage with your community." The current version of the app has a limited feature set, ostensibly so Twitch can receive feedback on the core of the experience, and the company said it will only let a limited number of people access the Twitch Studio beta at first.

Twitch highlighted three features that are supposed to make it easier to stream: a guided setup that helps users identify their optimal settings, customizable templates used to quickly modify the stream's look, and built-in audience engagement tools. Being exclusive to Twitch instead of supporting numerous services ought to make Twitch Studio more streamlined (no pun intended) as well.

We're curious about the audience engagement tools debuting with Twitch Studio. Right now most of these functions, like an activity feed, chat, and real-time alerts, are offered by outside platforms like Streamlabs and StreamElements. Offering similar features should make it easier for new streamers to interact with their audiences, sure, but it also seems like Twitch wants to exert more control over every step of the streaming process than it does now.

Streamlabs and Newzoo reported in July that the hours spent broadcasting to and watching Twitch declined quarter-over-quarter. This couldn't be attributed to an overall decline in the streaming market, either, as other services reported increases for both metrics. Twitch also lost its most high-profile streamer, Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, earlier this month after he signed a deal with Microsoft to stream exclusively on Mixer.

Those developments make it easier than ever for streamers to use other platforms instead of relying on Twitch. Unless the company is willing to make some changes, established streamers could be wooed to other services just like Ninja was, and someone's going to have to fill that gap. Helping new streamers get started through a tool made only for Twitch might allow the company to maintain its popularity despite this increased competition.

You can learn more about Twitch Studio on the company's website. In an FAQ article, Twitch said that "in the coming months, we’ll be adding an in-game overlay that makes it easier to chat and engage with your viewers, support for capture cards, additional integration with Twitch functionality and much more." It also warned that although Twitch Studio supports Windows 7, it has performance issues on the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.

A few months ago it would have been hard to imagine anything challenging Twitch and Fortnite's dominance of the streaming market. According to a new report from Streamlabs and Newzoo today, however, both have faced increasing competition from the likes of YouTube Live and Apex Legends. Neither comes close to beating their counterpart, but their rapid ascension shows that even the streaming market can be subject to upheaval.

Let's get this out of the way at the start: Streamlabs offers numerous tools meant to help streamers broadcast their gameplay, interact with their audiences and make some money while doing so. It used this report to share details about its growth over the last year, but we're going to skip over that information to focus on the data about the streaming market as observed by Newzoo researchers.

Those findings show that streaming hasn't even reached the limits of its potential. People are said to have watched roughly 2.69 billion hours of streaming on Twitch, 651 million hours on YouTube Live and 89.4 million hours on Mixer during the first quarter of 2019. The rising popularity of YouTube Live and Mixer doesn't appear to have come at Twitch's expense; the number of hours watched on Twitch actually rose 7 percent last quarter.

Much of that increase probably went to Twitch's most popular streamers. According to the report, the average YouTube Live streamer has more viewers (52.2) per stream than Twitch (26.1), even though the latter is far more popular. That's likely because it's easier to become a big fish in a smaller pond--YouTube Live has only 1.23 million unique channels compared to the 1.44 million of Mixer and 5.71 million of Twitch. So, even though more people are spending time on Twitch--the service's concurrent viewer count is also quadruple that of YouTube Live's and 30 times higher than Mixer's--it's harder to get noticed on that platform. 

Feeling like it's all but impossible to "make it" on Twitch now could very well send more streamers over to the service's competitors, which could help reduce the gap between Twitch and YouTube Live in the long term.

Fortnite didn't weather increased competition as well as Twitch did. Epic Games remains the most-streamed game publisher, according to the report, but the company's battle royale title lost 10 percent of its viewers between Q4 2018 and Q1 2019. The report said that decline can probably be attributed to the rise of Apex Legends, which attracted more than 50 million players shortly after its February debut. Many of those players stream Apex Legends, watch other people stream it, or both. The report named Apex Legends the second most popular title streamed on Twitch last quarter, with Fortnite being the most popular and League of Legends ranking third.

The numbers change a bit when it comes to viewing--League of Legends overtakes Apex Legends in that regard--but the free-to-play battle royale still stays in the top three.

Times are changing. Suddenly it's much easier to think Twitch might not always be the only streaming platform that matters, or that Fortnite isn't destined to dominate over every other title in existence. Barring some kind of catastrophe, neither is at risk of losing the lead any time soon, but at least that lead doesn't seem impossible to overcome.

A lot of video game streaming's appeal comes from the interaction between the streamer and their audience. Sometimes it can be fun to watch someone play without even glancing at their chat, sure, but most of the time it's the give-and-take that keeps people coming back for more. That's why Streamlabs and Twitch announced a partnership today to make augmented reality (AR) face masks easier for streamers to implement and viewers to activate.

Streamlabs added face masksin December 2018 as part of its own app store. It allowed streamers using the Streamlabs platform and Streamlabs OBS broadcasting software to use AR face masks on their channels. (An aside: please branch out from the stream-based naming system. It's losing all meaning.) Plus, people who donated to the channel could pick a face mask that would show up on the stream. 

Today's partnership between Streamlabs and Twitch makes face masks an official Twitch extension, the Face Masks Twitch Extension. In addition to giving the tool Twitch's stamp of approval, becoming a Twitch extension will also offer new ways for viewers to interact with face masks. Streamlabs said the feature can now be activated when someone signs up for a tier two or three subscription--which cost more than the tier one option--or when they donate Bits.

Both of those options should make face masks far more popular among streamers and their viewers. Some people don't like to donate to a streamer directly and feel more comfortable signing up for a monthly subscription. For streamers, accepting financial donations can be a double-edged sword because of the way different payment processors work. Twitch's proprietary Bits currency helps solve that problem.

Not that streamers were struggling to monetize with face masks before. Streamlabs said in its announcement that it "saw 30 percent of streamers doubling their donation revenue" after the feature debuted last December. There's no denying that the feature is silly, but honestly, most streams are pretty silly as well. (And here all the fuddy-duddies were complaining about millennials buying avocado toast; little did they know.)

The Face Masks Twitch Extension is currently available in a beta. Streamlabs said it currently offers 26 face masks that can be unlocked by signing up for tier two or three subscriptions and sending Bits. Another 70 face masks are unlockable by donating Bits through a channel's dedicated face masks page. The feature is limited to Twitch partners and affiliates; it also requires both the Twitch Extension and Streamlabs OBS to function.

Valve announced that it's retiring the Video section of Steam as part of a "refocus" on gaming-specific content in the marketplace.

Steam's Video section previously allowed people to sell documentaries, movies, and other video content that didn't have to be explicitly related to gaming. Yet it seems that Steam users were mostly interested in the platform as a game marketplace--which makes sense given that it's primarily a place where people can buy PC games--rather than a central hub of digital content.

"For the past few years, we have worked on expanding Steam beyond games and software by building a video platform that supports paid and free video content," Valve said. "In reviewing what Steam users actually watch, it became clear we should focus our effort on offering content that is either directly related to gaming or, is accessory content for games or software sold on Steam."

The company said that gaming-related videos will now be discovered "via the associated game or software store page, or through search, user tags, recommendations, etc." Other videos will be "retired" over the coming weeks. Steam users will still be able to view the videos they've already purchased, which is a relief, but it's clear that Valve wants to exit the non-gaming-video business.

This decision arrives during a time of transition for Steam. Over the last few years Valve has rethought many aspects of the store, from how it displays reviews to what screenshots developers can use to promote their latest titles, and overhauled its Steam Chat service. All that's in addition to the company's work on virtual reality, cross-play with other platforms, and other tech.

Steam also faces more competition than ever now that Discord's in the game-selling business, the Epic Games Store has debuted, and services like Twitch have promoted their own storefronts. Other companies, from Microsoft to Electronic Arts, have been planning Netflix-like subscription services that would obviate the need to buy games one at a time from platforms like Steam.

All that competition is bound to lead to changes in Steam. Removing non-gaming content, which apparently wasn't all that popular anyway, is an easy way for Valve to focus on other areas.

Fancy broadcasting your gameplay for the whole world to see? Here’s how to get started with Twitch, the most popular game-streaming platform.

Twitch is a hugely popular platform that allows people to broadcast their gameplay over the internet. Its popularity stems from the fact that it is easy to setup, allows you to interact with your audience and is available on a wide range of platforms.

This means you can stream from your PC, Xbox One or PlayStation 4, and your audience can view it on a number of different devices, including PCs, game consoles, smartphones and tablets.

The PS4 and Xbox One have tools to stream your gameplay to Twitch built-in, which makes it reasonably straightforward to get started. If you’re on PC, you’ll need to install some software to help you broadcast. In this guide, we’ll show you how to stream on Twitch on your PC.

Getting started

1. Set up a Twitch account

The first thing you should do is set up a free Twitch account. Head over to Twitch.tv and click on “Sign up” which is in the top-right hand corner of the webpage. Fill out your information and select a username which your audience can easily find you by. You can also sign in using your Facebook account.

2. Download broadcasting software

You’ll also need to download and install software to record and broadcast your gameplay. While there are a number of options out there, we recommend Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), which is a free and open-source application that offers a great selection of features without you needing to pay anything.

Once OBS is installed, load it up, and the Auto-Configuration Wizard will appear. Go through the steps to specify that you want to use OBS for streaming. Set the resolution of your gameplay stream. You’ll want the highest resolution your internet connection can handle, as you want your viewers to have an enjoyable viewing experience. If you don’t have a high upload speed, however, you may need to choose a lower resolution, but for most people 1080p will be ideal.

In the next window, you’ll be asked about your stream information. Make sure that Twitch is selected as your service, then where it says ‘Stream Key’, click ‘Link’.

This opens up your Twitch dashboard. At the top you’ll see ‘Primary Stream Key’. Click ‘Copy’, then go back to the OBS application and paste the key into the Stream Key text box. Click ‘Next’ and OBS will be connected to your Twitch account.

OBS will then configure itself depending on your Twitch settings and internet speed. Click ‘Apply settings’ to finish setup.

3. Add your game

You’ll now want to add the game you’re going to stream. Load it up, then switch back OBS. You can do this by pressing Alt + Tab on your keyboard. Under ‘Sources’ click ‘+’, then select ‘Game Capture’. Name it after the game then press ‘OK’.

In the next window, keep the settings as default and press ‘OK’. You should now see the game in the preview window (which takes up most of the OBS screen). If not, go back to your game, then switch back to OBS.

If you’re playing at a higher resolution than OBS will broadcast at (such as 1440p), you may see the image is too large. You can either set the in-game resolution to match your broadcast resolution (such as 1080p), or drag the red square to resize the image.

4. Add a webcam

Many Twitch streamers also add footage from their webcam, which gives a more personal touch. If you have a webcam, make sure it’s plugged in. Then, in the ‘Sources’ box, click ‘+’ and select ‘Video capture’ device. Choose your webcam from the list, then click ‘OK’. You can then move and resize the video from your webcam so that it is not getting in the way of your gameplay.

In the Mixer part of the window you’ll see your audio inputs. You’ll want to adjust this so that the sound from the game, and the sound from your microphone are at the correct levels. Some webcams have built-in mics, but if you’d rather use an external microphone, or one with a gaming headset, make sure that is selected under ‘Mic/Aux’.

5. Begin broadcast.

Once you’ve set up how your stream will look and sound, click ‘Start Streaming’. Switch back to Twitch (in your web browser) and you should see your stream. Now, go into your game and start playing, and your gameplay will be shown to anyone who visits your Twitch profile.
Once you’ve finished, click ‘Stop Streaming’.

This covers the basics of how stream on Twitch from a PC. To become a successful Twitch streamer with a wide audience, you’ll want to play around with the settings in OBS and on your Twitch dashboard to make your streams look more professional, as well as display a custom message when you’re not online. A good tip is to use the offline message to advertise what time you’ll next be online and streaming.

While getting started with streaming is pretty straightforward, all you need is a few essential bits of hardware and software, gaining – and growing – an audience is far more difficult. No one wants to put all their effort into a stream that hardly anyone is watching, and in this guide, we’ll look at how you can gain a committed and active following online.

1. Invest in the best hardware

There are a lot of streamers out there, which means you’ll have a lot of competition when it comes to finding an audience and keep them watching. A poor quality stream that offers blurry video and garbled sound could see a lot of people switching off – and never returning.

So, to get your streaming career off to a strong start, try to get the best hardware you can for your budget. So, that means investing in a good quality microphone, or at the very least a good quality headset with a microphone built in. Don’t reply on the built-in microphone of your laptop or webcam, as nothing will make audience members switch off faster than a stream that has tinny or difficult to hear audio.

And, speaking of webcams, if you’re going to be visible on your stream (as opposed to simply streaming your gameplay), then you may want to invest in a decent standalone webcam that’s capable of recording in 1080p. This will instantly give your stream a more professional look.

2. Choose the right game

The vast majority of streamers focus on playing games, and it’s likely you’ll start off streaming your gameplay as well.

While it might be tempting to jump in and stream any (and all) games you’re currently playing, when you’re getting established it’s best to stick with one game. To build an audience, it’s a good idea to find a game that’s currently very popular. Games that are trending can quickly net an audience for streamers.

As a gamer, you should have a good idea of what games are currently hot, but you can also do a bit of research as well. Check out gaming websites and forums to see what games people are talking about, and looking at Twitch will also give you a feel for what games are trending.

However, there are some caveats here. Firstly, the more popular the game, the more competition you’ll have, which can make it harder to stand out, especially if you’re just getting started. You may also find that audiences grow tired if everyone is streaming just one game, so try to find games that are growing in popularity, but not oversaturated.

Also, bear in mind that you’ll be playing a lot of this game, so only choose a title that you won't get sick of. No matter how popular a game is, if you don’t enjoy playing it, your audience will pick up on this.

3. Set a schedule and stick with it

One of the most important parts of becoming a successful streamer, which many people sadly ignore, is that you should stream regularly, and at the same time and day each week. This helps your audience know when to expect a new stream from you, and when to tune in.

Try to remain consistent as well. Streaming once a week on the same day is much better than streaming every day, then taking weeks (or months) off at a time.

Of course, you can always change your schedule when things crop up, but by keeping to a schedule you’ll find your audience will keep returning. So, set up a schedule that you know you can keep to, even if it means only streaming at the weekends.

Also, when you’re not streaming, make sure your channel – be it on Twitch, YouTube or any other platform – advertises clearly when your next stream will be. Streamlabs Stream Schedule & Countdown is a handy widget for Twitch that automatically shows your schedule and upcoming streams to your audience, and is well worth adding to your channel.

4. Interact with your audience

So, you’ve started to get an audience tuning into your streams. That’s great! But don’t take them for granted. The best streamers will chat with their audience during a stream. This helps you inject a bit of personality into your stream, and means people aren’t just watching you silently playing games by yourself, which has dubious entertainment value.

During a stream, talk to your audience. Explain what you’re playing, if you’re enjoying it and what sort of tactics you’re employing. If there’s a tricky part of the game, why not ask your audience for help? That sort of interaction will keep people entertained and coming back for more. Also, when people subscribe to your channel, make sure you acknowledge it on the stream. It shows you’re grateful for your audience and will encourage others to do the same.

5. Continue that interaction after the stream ends

When you finish streaming, it doesn’t mean your interaction with your audience ends there. After all, you want them to return for the next stream, don’t you? Being active on social media such as Facebook and Twitter, will help you keep in contact with your audience.

You can share cool videos you’ve found, discuss what games you’ll be playing next, and promote your stream and when you’ll next be broadcasting.

It’s also important to remember that this isn’t a one-way street. So, it’s worth listening to your audience about what they like about the stream – and what can be improved. Suggestions for new games to play can help you suit your stream to your audience, while making them feel part of it.

These steps will help you establish a streaming channel and grow your audience. Once you’ve got a certain amount of followers, you can look into ways of monetising your stream, either through sponsorship and adverts, or through crowd funding platforms like Patreon.

MORE: Gaming And Streaming: Which CPU Is Best For Both?

We're living in the streaming era. Just look at the fame Tyler "Ninja" Blevins has attracted over the last year by playing Fortnite day in and day out: he broke streaming records by playing with Drake, was on the cover of ESPN Magazine and made an appearance on Ellen. He's a bonafide celebrity, and countless people think streaming could make them famous too. Companies have started to realize they can take advantage of streaming's rise by catering to people broadcasting their gameplay. Corsair bought Elgato, Logitech acquired Blue Microphones and Razer introduced the Ifrit headset, all so they could tap into a growing market. Now, Streamlabs and Intel have done the same with today's announcement of their partnership with various system makers for PCs that come streaming-ready. 

Anyone who's spent more than a few minutes on Twitch and other streaming platforms is probably familiar with Streamlabs. The company originally started with various widgets that make it easy for streamers to display alerts for donations, subscriptions and the like. It also offers Streamlabs OBS, a free broadcasting app said to offer better performance and more features than OBS, even though it's currently only available in beta form.

Streamlabs also offers mobile apps, custom merch sales and other tools for streamers. It's no wonder, then, that it decided to branch out into the hardware side of things via this partnership with Intel. The company said in its announcement today that the companies are working with Shuttle, SimplyNUC, Zotac and Acer on systems that come with Streamlabs OBS and various streaming-related optimizations pre-installed.

The company said it's "quality testing performance before each device goes to market and affixing its seal of approval in the form of a Streamlabs badge on the outside of certified devices." It's also working with Intel to optimize the Quick-Sync-Video encoder to work with Streamlabs OBS and "automatically import optimal settings to provide quality bit-rate, audio, resolution and FPS." This is as close to plug-and-play streaming as it gets.

“At Intel, we view live streamers as creators, and we are committed to working alongside industry leaders like Streamlabs to build technologies and solutions that power their contributions,” said Chris Silva, General Manager of the Desktop Product Group at Intel. “By powering these new PCs, we not only help streamers easily share their creativity, but we enhance the viewer experience to allow them to consume, personalize and interact with their favorite live streamers."

Streamlabs plans to show off some of these devices, including a concept PC from Acer that was custom-designed for optimal streaming, at TwitchCon 2018. The annual convention is being held from October 26-28 in San Jose, and with many high-profile streamers converging in one place, it makes sense for Streamlabs to publicize its expansion into hardware at the event. More details will be available via its website.

In an unexpected move, China has blocked the Twitch.tv website and removed the application from the Apple App Store since Thursday, BBC reported. Twitch has confirmed the block but didn’t say why the authorities censored the service.

The Chinese government seems to have issued a censorship order for Twitch streaming in the country. As of now, neither the Chinese government nor Twitch or its parent company Amazon have said why the block occurred.

The move came after Twitch became the third-most popular free app in the Chinese iOS store. The app saw this surge in popularity last month when the Asian Games hosted in Jakarta, Indonesia featured video gaming competitions for the first time. Chinese eSports fans started using Twitch after the Chinese state-run media wouldn’t show those competitions.

China’s History of Blocking Foreign Media Services

China has a long history of frequently blocking not just foreign online websites, but especially media services. The Chinese government doesn’t seem to want to allow its citizens to access media without heavy restrictions being applied to it first.

Other foreign platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Google’s Play Store and other services are also censored in the country. Disney and Apple’s Chinese media services were also blocked back in 2016.

Another issue is that the Chinese government’s enforcement of media censorship rules have been quite inconsistent, which has given foreign investors concerns and may even prevent them from investing into the country in the future.

Valve kicked off The International 8, the latest of its annual Dota 2 tournaments that offer record-breaking prize pools year after year, on August 20. But this year's tournament brought more than just tens of millions of dollars in prize money: it'salso introduced an updated Steam Broadcasting. The newly improved platform is called Steam.TV, and it could become Valve's response to livestreaming services like Twitch.

Steam.TV's primary selling point is the ability to watch The International 8 with groups of friends instead of with everyone who tunes in--though you can also stick to the general chat if you prefer. Valve calls the feature Watch Party, and it's the latest attempt to recreate the experience of watching something esports-related with friends online, similar to how millions of people gather in-person for real sports.

This demand for watching with friends isn't exclusive to esports. People have been trying to figure out the best way to watch Netflix, Hulu and YouTube with their friends almost since the services debuted. The frustration of not being able to watch the same thing as your buddies is exacerbated with esports though because it means the most exciting moments of a match could reach everyone at different times. That desynchronization really kills the vibe.

Watch Party isn't the only feature with which Steam.TV is debuting. Valve also created some tools specifically for The International 8:

"[Y]ou’ll see markers for match starts, first bloods and team-fights populating the timeline as you watch live. We’ve also updated Steam Broadcasting with a new Live DVR feature, making rewind available as soon as you join the stream and allowing you to smoothly jump back and forth through the action. Combined with this custom Dota 2 Steamworks integration, you won’t miss a second of the action."

These updates mimic the features traditional sports fans have been able to use for a while now. Who doesn't like catching instant replays of particularly exciting moments, skipping past the boring parts to get right into the action, or being able to watch the start of a game even if you're tuning in late? It's much easier to appreciate a live DVR than a video-on-demand (VOD) hours after the broadcast ends.

Right now, Steam.TV only broadcasts The International 8 (or a near-deafening endless loop of an instrumental track when no matches are occurring). Valve said that will change in the future, touting plans to "extend Watch Party support for all games that are broadcasting on Steam and expose a new broadcast Steamworks API to Steam partners." Dota 2's premier tourney happens to be the perfect test for the service.

It's not hard to imagine Valve pitching Steam.TV as the best way to broadcast esports. Right now, many events default to Twitch, some use YouTube and others have even tapped Facebook Live, much to the chagrin of many esports fans. But as Twitch removes certain incentives--the company announced on August 20 that Twitch Prime members would soon see ads again--Valve might have an opportunity to seize.

Additional features, like Watch Party and Live DVR, only make Steam.TV more appealing. If Valve is able to offer streams with a higher bitrate and convince enough developers to use the platform, it could easily become a favorite among esports fans. Many have come to realize that Twitch's maximum bitrate isn't really high enough to support streams at a 1080p resolution, and VODs especially can look blurry and have washed-out colors.

Moving in on Twitch's territory would also fit Valve's recent efforts to make Steam more central to gamers' lives. The most notable example is when the company recently seemingly took inspiration from many of Discord's features with an updated Steam Chat. Between competing with Discord and updating Steam.TV, it seems like Valve intends to make Steam far more than just a games marketplace.

The worst thing about services and features shutting down might be losing all of your data. To soften the blow, some companies make your content available for download before shutting down a service. But it turns out that when Twitch let streamers download their archived data from Messages, a feature it shut down in May, it accidentally included other people's communications in some of those archives.

Messages allowed streamers and other Twitch users to communicate with each other somewhere other than each livestream's chat box without requiring them to use other services. Because many streamers feel compelled to interact with their viewers for large portions of the day--even when they aren't streaming--Messages provided an easy way to communicate with those communities while the stream itself was offline.

Twitch decided to put the kibosh on Messages in May. "Messages have been deprecated due to legacy technology," reads the Messages tab on Twitch's dashboard, ostensibly because "This allows us to work on new ways for you to contact others on Twitch!" The company gave streamers a chance to download their communications until November 1, though, which should help make sure any important messages aren't lost forever.

But according to Polygon, numerous streamers have received emails from Twitch informing them that some of their messages were mistakenly included in archives downloaded by other streamers. Here's what the company told Polygon about the issue once complaints started to surface:

"In May, we removed a legacy feature called Messages and provided users the ability to download an archive of past messages. Due to a bug in the code that generated the message archive files, which has since been fixed, a small percentage of user messages were included in the wrong archives. The primary use case for Messages was promotion; streamers sending out mass communication to subscribers, for example, and the majority of messages that were unintentionally provided to another user fall into that category. We have notified users via email and provided them the affected messages for review. Protecting our users’ privacy is important to us, and we have taken actions to ensure this kind of error does not happen in the future."

Twitch hasn't acknowledged the issue on its blog, primary Twitter account, or customer support Twitter account. What it has done is quietly introduce a way for streamers to check to see if their messages were affected by the error on its website, but it requires users to check a page for a feature that's been "deprecated" for months. Even then, it merely says "None of your private messages were affected" (at least if they, well, weren't affected). What exactly those users were or weren't affected by isn't said. People just have to trust that Twitch truly notified everyone affected by the error.

The 3dRudder is an interesting peripheral, and the company behind it keeps coming up with new reasons to own one. The newest feature to grace the foot-based input device enables you to control web content with your feet. 3dRudder today released a WebSocket server and JavaScript client that enables developers to incorporate 3dRudder control into cloud-based applications, WebVR content, and other browser tools.

Along with the WebSocket server and JavaScript client for developers, 3dRudder also released a sample Chrome extension to demonstrate the web control features' potential. 3dRudder’s Video Playback Control extension enables basic control over videos such as play/pause, forward/rewind, and volume in HTML5 video players. 3dRudder said the extension supports YouTube, Daily Motion, Vimeo, Amazon Prime Video, and Twitch, but it should also work with any other HTML5 video player.

The first version of the 3dRudder Video Playback Control extension is available only for Google’s Chrome browser. 3dRudder said that it is working on releases for the Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge browsers, but the company didn’t say when those versions would be available.

Installation Procedure

To install the 3dRudder Video Playback Control extension, first make sure that you have the 3dRudder Dashboard and drivers installed. Without these, the web extension won’t do you much good. It’s also a good idea to ensure that you have the latest firmware installed on your device. Once your 3dRudder is installed, updated, and configured, you can proceed with the extension installation.

3dRudder created a tutorial page for the installation process where you’ll find links to everything you need along with instructions to install them. The first step involves installing the 3dRudder WebSocket server. Click on the download button to access RootCertificat.zip and extract it to a folder. Locate and launch the InstallRootCertificat.exe file in the folder you extracted. (Spelling errors 3dRudder's.) The installer will run in a command window. When it completes, you’ll see a prompt to “press any key to continue.” 

Next, locate the 3dRudder Video Control extension in the Chrome Webstore and click on "Add to Chrome." If you add the extension before installing the WebSocket server, it will redirect your browser to the tutorial page on 3dRudder’s website. Once you have the extension installed, locate 3dRWSServerStandAlone.exe in the folder you extracted earlier and launch it. A command window should open, and you should see “server started” followed by an IP address and a port.

With the WebSocket server running, you can now use the browser extension. You should see a 3dRudder icon in the upper right corner of your browser. Click on the icon to access the control settings, where you can adjust the input sensitivity, and remap the controls. You should see a green “server online” message at the top of this screen. If the server is offline or malfunctioning, you’ll see a red warning.

When everything's working properly, you should see a 3dRudder icon hovering over the upper left corner of the next video you watch.

Surprisingly Useful

3dRudder suggests that the use of a 3dRudder device to control videos frees your hands for other tasks such as “snacking, taking notes, or grabbing a soda.” The company could have come up with less vapid examples, but to be honest, all three suggestions lived up to our satisfaction. In fact, we were surprised at the usefulness of the note-taking concept. 3dRudder’s video control extension allows you to control video playback even if the video window isn’t active and your mouse and keyboard are accessing another application.

You can take notes in Word, and if you need to stop the clip, so you don’t miss details while you jot something down, simply rock your feet backwards to pause it without interrupting your typing. When you’ve caught up with your notes, tilt your feet forward to resume playback. You can also rewind or fast forward videos by rocking the 3dRudder to the left or the right or adjust the volume down with a twist to the left and up with a twist to the right.

Having control over video playback while accessing another application truly empowers multitasking. We also see a lot of potential for accessibility. Foot-based web navigation could be a huge benefit to people who lack mobility in their upper limbs, or amputees who are missing an arm altogether. Simple foot-based gestures to control videos are a neat gimmick to a non-disabled person, but could be a major benefit to a disabled person.

3dRudder’s video control extension is just a simple example of what you can do with the 3dRudder WebSocket server and the JavaScript client. We can’t wait to see what other web functions people create for the 3dRudder peripheral.

The new downloadable content is the first of two planned expansions for Bungie’s game, and it follows Osiris, who is one of the most famous Guardians in known history. With his Ghost, named Sagira, he explores Mercury and fights the Vex who inhabit it. These time-traveling foes use the planet as a staging point in order to find a future where it rules the entire solar system.

During the stream we'll check out the new planet and the content that comes with it. This includes weapons, armor, the game's largest public event, and Heroic modifiers for Adventure quests.

The launch of “Curse of Osiris” also meant that Bungie released the first wave of major gameplay updates. You should receive more tokens when completing activities, and there is an improved Mod system, too. Armor ornaments also make a return, and you can now buy Legendary engrams from Rahool the Cryptarch.

Bungie plans to launch the second batch of updates next week, which includes the new Masterworks tier of weapons. You can also use tokens to purchase specific gear from multiple vendors. During Strikes, you can use an item that should give you better rewards when completing the mission.

In this edition of the Tom’s Hardware Twitch livestream we head to Fortune Valley, where we’ll have to amass a huge roster of cars and return to the top of the street racing circuit in Need for Speed: Payback.

Throughout our stream, we’ll explore Ghost Games’ new world. We’ll advance through the main storyline through multiple quests, but we’ll also check out some of the other activities available in the open world. There’s also a chance that we can find Derelict vehicles, which are the rarest cars in the game.

The main story puts you in control of three characters who are proficient in different racing styles. Tyler prefers the road-based sprints, Mac is an off-road fanatic, and Jess wants to outrun cops in hot pursuit. In addition to these races, you can also obtain cars that can easily drift on tight corners or leave the competition behind in drag races.

One of the series’ main staples is customization, and just like previous titles, you’ll have a few options in changing your car’s appearance. You can alter parts such as the hood, side skirts, and even the brake calipers. However, you’ll need to complete different challenges before you get access to more customization options. There’s also a new way to upgrade your vehicle’s performance. You can visit a tune-up shop and get parts across six categories: Block, Head, Turbo, Exhaust, Transmission, and ECU (electronic control unit). You can also obtain these upgrades as a random reward after each race.

If you already have the game, make sure you download the Day One patch, which includes numerous fixes and changes. If you’re thinking about getting Need for Speed: Payback check out our story on its PC hardware requirements to ensure that your current build can handle it.

With Halloween just around the corner, some studios are starting holiday-themed events within their games. One example is Blizzard and the ever-popular Overwatch. The “Halloween Terror” event began on October 10, and we’ll check it out in our latest Twitch livestream.

Similar to previous Overwatch events, this year’s Halloween-themed session will provide players with unique cosmetic items for the game’s many characters. These include costumes, special highlight introduction animations, and new emotes all of which you can get through loot boxes.

However, the event isn’t just about getting new looks for your heroes to show off on the battlefield. A new endless mode is available in Junkenstein’s Revenge, wherein you and three other players must work together to defeat wave after wave of foes. When you finally succumb to the forces of evil, you can compare your team’s performance against other players through online leaderboards.

Even if you don’t get to participate in the event during the weekend, you won’t miss out on the fun. The event will be around all the way through November 1, so you’ll have plenty of time to join the action and get new skins for your favorite characters.

If you want to stay in touch with other members of the Tom’s Hardware community, be sure to join us on the official Steam group page. You can also stay up to date on our latest Twitch livestream and even recommend some games for us to play for future events.