How much does a streaming setup cost?

How much does a good streaming setup cost? The answer to this question will depend on your budget, the audiovisual quality you want and how seriously you'll be taking your game streaming. It can range anywhere from around $500, if you already have a gaming PC, to $1,500 and up if you want high-end gear.

artlist.io - Essential Gear for Twitch Streaming Setup - Artlist

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You’re really into the Twitch gaming community, but you’d like to start streaming gameplay yourself. Great! But maybe you’re wondering how to get started, especially when it comes to putting together a Twitch streaming setup. No need to worry. We got you covered when it comes to Twitch stream equipment. The good thing is that there is plenty of gear and software out there and several different streaming setups you could choose from. Depending on your individual needs, this can be anything from high-end to cheap streaming setups and everything in between. Let’s explore some of the essential gear for a Twitch stream setup. Any beginner Twitcher will need to get started live streaming their gameplay.

Gaming PC + monitor

If you’re putting together a Twitch streaming setup, a good argument could and probably should be made to have a workhorse gaming computer with some serious CPU and graphics engine, as well as a monitor. What’s great for aspiring game streamers is that there are many options for gaming computers, from laptops to desktops, for any type of budget. The same goes for monitors. To start your streaming setup right, invest what you can in a gaming PC and monitor. If you’re already a serious gamer, you probably have this gear.

If you don’t, get started finding the best combo for your needs!

Streaming camera or webcam

The next piece of essential gear for any Twitch gaming setup is the streaming camera or webcam. As a novice Twitcher, selecting the right camera for your live stream production will put you well on your way to assembling the best Twitch stream setup for you. Any budding Twitch stream will want the best live stream visuals to embed alongside the gameplay. And that means finding a really good webcam or some other type of camera that can be optimized in a Twitch gaming setup. High resolution and quality video will make it that much easier to attract and engage an audience when sharing your streaming adventures, whether it’s beating a difficult level, acquiring new avatar skins or just cracking a joke.

Logitech Streamcam

Longstream webcam manufacturer Logitech offers the Streamcam—a 1080p, 60FPS camera that can be fixed to your monitor. The Logitech Streamcam is notable for its high resolution and autofocus feature (you gotta stay in focus while you stream!). It also comes equipped with Logitech capture software (more on capture software below). In addition, Logitech has some other webcams for Twitch streaming, so be sure to check out those products as well.

The Logitech Streamcam is also a great webcam for vlogging.

Razer Kiyo

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Another camera to consider is the Razer Kiyo—a budget webcam that can do either a 720p image at 60fps or 1080p at 30fps. And yeah, the Kiyo is made by Razer, the gaming computer makers. One advantage the Kiyo has over Logitech Streamcam is that it comes with a ring light—a type of circular LED light frequently used by YouTubers and Twitchers. You could also consider some type of DSLR camera, whether it’s a Canon, Nikon, or a Sony mirrorless A6 or A7 series camera. Using a DSLR camera might take a bit more time integrating into your streaming setup, but the high resolution could be worth it. And, with a Sony mirrorless camera, you’ll have the hardware that can handle low-light situations.

Lighting

Unless Twitch game streaming will be your day job, you will likely be streaming at night. This means you’re going to need some lighting. Before we recommend specific types of lighting, let’s be real for a second—you don’t need a Hollywood caliber lighting setup for your Twitch streaming setup. As we noted above in talking about the Razer Kiyo webcam, a great option for a Twitch gaming setup is a ring light. Ring lights are usually budget-friendly and give streamers’ faces a nice, flat light for image capture. If you get the Kiyo webcam, you’ll kill 2 birds with 1 stone (webcam + ring light). If you don’t go with the Kiyo, you’ll need to check out other ring light options. On the high end is the Diva Ring Light, an 18” dimmable lighting setup. For the budget-minded, consider the AIXPI 10-inch Ring Light. If you’d like more flexible lighting for your streaming setup, you should look for a lighting kit that comes with at least two different lights. This will help you light your face and the background or give you both key light and fill light for your face. And if you want to bring some color to your lighting, check out various programmable LED lighting strips and panels. A projector can also throw some colorful light and pattern on your background.

Capture card

A capture card is a device that captures video and audio from a gaming PC or console and converts them into digital data. Then it either records or live-streams the audiovisuals. Capture cards can be plugged straight into a PC motherboard or external devices. For instance, if you’re playing on a game console, you’ll need an external capture card to connect the console to your PC for broadcast. For an internal capture card for your Twitch streaming setup, check out the Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro. If you need an external capture card, consider Razer Ripsaw HD. If you need some help choosing the right capture card for your game stream, we’ve got some useful ideas for capture cards too!

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Microphone + headsets

To capture audio—particularly your speaking voice—for your streaming setup, there are 2 options: microphone or headset setup. A headset equipped with a microphone and headphones would be great for live-streaming and recording your voice. This would give you an all-in-one solution (headphone + mic). Epos, Corsair, and Razer all make some good gaming headsets, but plenty of other options exist. Alternatively, you could get a pair of headphones and either a studio mic or lavalier mic for your Twitch stream setup. And check out the best microphones for vloggers, podcasts and filmmakers for some additional guidance.

Chair

Now, having a nice chair may seem like a bit of luxury, especially for someone trying to assemble a cheap streaming setup, but it’s always a good idea to have a good chair. This is as true for gaming as it is for work and computer-based creative projects, like music and video production. Some aspiring Twitch streamers will already have a good ergonomic chair for hours of gaming, but for those who don’t, just consider it. It’s a good investment for both your gaming and health!

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Royalty-free music

Granted, this is not gear. Still, with all the copyright strikes and DMCA takedown notices handed on Twitch in the last few years, any streamer should take a long look at the background music of their live stream. There are plenty of copyright-free music sources out there, but we’d argue that an Artlist license would give you the most comprehensive coverage out there, protecting you on any video streaming platform out there. And if you want to cover yourself only as a Twitch streamer, Artlist’s Social Creator plan gives you what you need.

Some final thoughts

Remember, a good streaming setup can be found by balancing your specific Twitch stream needs with your budget. If you’re just getting started as a game streamer, go for a Twitch streaming setup that doesn’t break the bank. You’ll be happy you did because you can always add more gear later. Or you can upgrade in the future with better webcams, graphics cards, computers and other equipment. And, yes, that can even include upgrading your gaming chair!