How to stream on Twitch in 2023

Getting a stream on Twitch is pretty easy, but there are a few additional things you should know before you start live streaming directly. Here’s how to get started.

Do you think you can be the next xQc, or even see yourself headlining Dexerto over a controversy? Well, step right in and let’s talk about going live on Twitch.

Streaming has been a huge industry since the early days of BlogTV, JustinTV and Ustream. You can go live with almost anything, anywhere, with new forms of streaming creation every day.

However, if you’re considering going live on the internet, there’s a lot to consider. Not just yourself, but the old adage “you get what you put in”.

That’s a nicer way of saying, the more time, effort, and money you put into your streaming, the better results you’ll see. It’s not an overnight thing either, as it’s taken some popular streamers years to get where they are and some who’ve been at it even longer are still working to ensure they don’t get left behind.

As we said above, there are multiple ways to go live for almost any purpose. We’ve broken these into their own sections and you can easily find them with our handy list:

How to stream on a PC

For streaming on a PC you need a powerful computer and software like OBS or Nvidia Broadcast.

Going live on Twitch with a PC is perhaps the easiest way to do things, especially if you prefer to be in control of your content. Straightforward use means you have access to all kinds of software and hardware, so you can take your streams to the next level.

Gaming on PC is one of the most popular choices today, with its esports and huge titles dominating the pages of Twitch. It’s easy to go from loading to streaming in seconds, but you have to consider what software you want to use to control things.

We’ll use OBS as an example, but most other programs require the same thing. OBS can now actually integrate directly with Twitch, so we don’t have to grab a stream key.

A stream key is essentially Twitch’s method of authenticating that it’s you accessing their servers. Make sure you never share it because technically you don’t need to log into Twitch to start streaming.

How to get your Twitch stream key

If you want to use other software or hardware that doesn’t have direct Twitch integration, you’ll need to follow the steps below to get your stream key:

1. Go to your account’s creator dashboard
2. Then go to Settings and select Stream
3. You will then be presented with a stream key which is locked and can be copied without revealing it
4. If you’re still using OBS as an example, then go to the settings page and paste it

Set up OBS

To continue using OBS as an example, you then need to set up your “scene”. This is where you place things like your webcam, your game, and any overlays. To keep things simple, we’re using a full screen mode for the game and a webcam.

Video

If you haven’t already, plug in the webcam and start your game. In OBS, you want to select “Video Source” and find your webcam, and then Game Capture to snap into the game and view it in OBS.

If for some reason your game doesn’t support OBS, you need to consider playing in windowed mode or borderless fullscreen. Older titles and bad PC ports are notorious for this. In that case, you should use Window Capture, which simply captures everything on the screen – so watch what you have.

Audio

Audio is a bit confusing on OBS. It’s fine once set up, but this initial process can be a bit tricky.

You must add an “Audio In” capture for each source you want to capture. For example, if you want two capture cards, you need to add two individual input captures. Once added, they will be included in the audio mix and you can start modifying them as you see fit.

Go live

After you’re done moving and importing source materials that you want on your screen, you’re pretty much ready to start streaming. Remember to keep monitoring OBS when you can, as it gives you a less detailed view of what’s going right and wrong with streaming. There are two boxes in the lower right corner.

One shows your dropped frames and how much load OBS is putting on your PC.

Games with integrated streaming

Certain games, like Path of Exile, actually have streaming embedded into the game, taking the footage directly from the game without the need for any external software.

Although streaming on the same PC can cause some minor issues in terms of potential performance impact, you’ll find that this isn’t an issue if you have the right build.

Recommended PC build for streaming

As of now, for a streaming-capable PC, we would recommend the following:

• GPU: Nvidia RTX 4080 or 3070 Ti
  • Using the 40 series gives you access to AV1, a new format that requires less bandwidth with better quality
• CPU: Intel 13600K or AMD 7600X (and higher)
• RAM: 32 GB DDR5 or DDR4 RAM
• Storage: At least 2x 1 TB NVMe SSD
  • This is one for your game and software of choice and one for potential VOD recording
• PSU: Corsair PSUs over 750W

Surprisingly, you don’t need a high-end PC of the ultimate build to start streaming on your desktop. While it’s better to stream as much as you can afford, it’s all about the overhead. We rarely see a big drop in performance on our home system with an RTX 2070 and Ryzen 7 2700X.

The only games that experience a massive drop in performance are real heavyweights or resource-demanding CPU-bound games like Civilization.

Our top recommendation for streaming PCs is to make sure you have enough RAM and a CPU with decent multithreading. As modern PC components are getting much better at handling this level of multitasking and intense demands (running games and streaming isn’t easy!), consider going for the very latest stuff.

Streaming on consoles to Twitch

Going live on Twitch with consoles isn’t as hard as it used to be. The days of grabbing a capture card are unnecessary. However, that doesn’t mean discounting them entirely.

Both PlayStation 4, 5 and Xbox One, S and X support built-in Twitch streaming with some decent options for those on a tight budget. While it’s not our preferred method of streaming or producing content, for those just starting out, it’s absolutely a viable way to get started.

How to start a Twitch stream on Xbox

1. Go to the store and download the Twitch app
2. Sign in to the Twitch app
3. Connect your Twitch and Xbox accounts and follow the on-screen pairing instructions
4. Next, close the app and press the guide button
5. Go to the recording menu and select live streaming
6. Plug in a USB microphone or your favorite headset
7. You can start streaming once you have selected the Twitch destination

Using a webcam for Xbox streams

Microsoft recommends Logitech or their own brand of webcams, but we’ve had success with non-branded webcams as well. As long as it supports the YUY2 or NV12 format at 1080p, you should be good to go.

All you have to do is plug the webcam directly into the console and you should see the camera options in the guide menu. Just turn it on and make adjustments.

How to start a Twitch stream on PlayStation

1. Go to Settings and then Users and Accounts
2. Then press Link to other services, select Twitch and follow the on-screen instructions
3. Go back and press the Create button on your controller
4. Choose Twitch from the menu and enter all the required information
5. Broadcast options allow you to choose a camera and audio from your party when playing with others
6. Press Go Live and you should be on Twitch in seconds

If you want to change your camera’s location or other settings, you need to go to Settings and then Recordings & Broadcasts.

Need a capture card for streaming?

The thing about the streaming options on both consoles is that they’re severely limited in their creativity. While it’s great to display a webcam and game footage on screen, nothing beats the flexibility that comes with a dedicated capture card.

Using a console capture card means unlocking your entire console collection. From PS2 to Xbox to Nintendo Switch. You can also embed it into your chosen software.

Stream on mobile

Mobile streaming has come a long, long way since it first crawled out of the mud. iPhones, iPads, and Android devices pretty much all have some way of streaming either the camera or the screen.

There isn’t much flexibility with screen streams on iOS right now. However, as long as you have the app installed, you can go live right from the screen recording option in Control Center.

Twitch has this embedded in their app and all you have to do is download it, log in and switch to the creator mode by tapping the button in the top corner.

Follow any on-screen instructions and heed the warnings about iOS special weirdness (there are a few options that can cause a stream to stop). Press the big purple button and off you go.

It’s similar on Android too, giving you a built-in way to stream your favorite mobile titles on the go.

Of course, if you want to stream at home and you have the right gear, you can always use a USB-C to HDMI or Lightning cable to HDMI adapter to take the device to your PC and like any other Prepare device for streaming .

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