Stream Perfect

STREAMING HAS BECOME entrenched in our community over the last decade or so. What started out as a niche hobby, a spin-off of YouTube “let’s play” videos, has quickly blossomed into a beast of an enterprise with massive superstars and big paychecks. Live streaming covers everything from the latest AAA game playthroughs, eSports competitions, PC building, cooking, DIY, and more. Think of a hobby and there’s probably a streamer out there doing it now.

Live streaming also offers something that was often lacking in YouTube videos— authenticity. Those “HI GUYS!” YouTubers who fine-tuned their on-camera personas for a short skit have difficulty maintaining a fake personality on a live stream without slipping up. What you’re left with is a platform of enthusiasts, who love what they do with genuine passion and authenticity. That, in our opinion, is kick-ass.

Once upon a time, it was expensive to get into streaming, but with greater competition and the advancement of technology, we’re seeing more quality products make their way down to affordable levels than ever before. And as our computational tech gets better, even an everyday gaming PC can take on the strains of pumping those extra frames out into the ether for your viewers.

To help you on your way to streaming stardom, we grabbed some top-notch kit from Elgato that we’d recommend for building the ultimate live streaming setup at home.