PCWorld

Stream PC games on Twitch

Not so long ago there was pretty much one way to interact with a video game: You sat down and played it. Maybe you watched an older friend or sibling play while pointing out all their mistakes, but gaming was never what you’d call a “spectator sport.”

That’s changed in recent years thanks to YouTube gaming celebrities, the booming popularity of professional e-sports, and most importantly, the online game-streaming service Twitch. Firing up a stream and watching someone else play a thousand miles away is now a perfectly legitimate way to enjoy a game. Best of all, anyone is free to participate on either side of a Twitch stream—PCWorld even has its own Twitch channel. If you want to be the one gaming in front of a live audience, you can start doing it today, for free.

Here’s how to stream your games on Twitch.

PC REQUIREMENTS: THE BARE MINIMUM

This guide assumes that you have a PC with a discrete graphics card and processor powerful enough to stream games. At least to start, you’ll be running your game and uploading video and audio at the same time. There are many Twitch pros who actually use two PCs to accomplish this—one for streaming and one for gaming—but that’s a complex setup that’s beyond this beginner’s guide.

 that your PC has at least an Intel.)

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from PCWorld

PCWorld3 min read
Nvidia’s GeForce Now Free Tier Will Make You Watch Ads Before Gaming
All good things must come to an end, in the words of dads and starship captains everywhere. And Nvidia’s GeForce Now game streaming service is no exception. No, the system isn’t shutting down—in fact it’s been going from strength to strength lately,
PCWorld8 min read
Is A $100 Standing Desk Worth Buying?
As someone who works at a computer more or less all day every day and has chronic back problems, a standing desk is an important part of my office setup. I’ve been using one for over ten years, and back then it was something of a luxury. But lately I
PCWorld4 min read
Backblaze: No-hassle Online Backup With Unlimited Storage
If you’re not sure what you want to back up or where it is on your device, or you just want to avoid the pressure of trying to figure it all out, Backblaze is the online “backup” (see below for an explanation of the quotes) service you want. It offer

Related Books & Audiobooks