How Do You Start a Stream on Twitch? OBS, Stream Key and PC Specs

Twitch, as we all know, is a popular platform offering live streaming support focused on sports and mostly video games. Here, people stream live about the video games they play, or just to chat. Going live on Twitch is quite simple, but as with everything, there are some points you should know before you stream. In this article we will cover how you start a stream on Twitch.

How Do You Start a Stream on Twitch in 2023?

Streaming on Twitch From a PC

Streaming live from a PC needs a capable computer as well as software such as OBS or Nvidia Broadcast. PC gaming, with esports and the huge games that dominate Twitch's pages, is one of the most popular ways today. Switching to streaming within seconds without any loading is easy, but at this point which software you want to use matters just as much. For example, OBS can now integrate directly with Twitch, which means we do not need to get a stream key. A stream key is the way to verify that it is you connecting to Twitch's servers. Since you technically do not need to log in to Twitch to start streaming, you need to make sure you never share it.

How Do You Get a Twitch Stream Key in 2023?

To get your stream key, if you want to use other software or hardware that does not have direct Twitch integration, you should follow the steps below:

• Go to your account's creator dashboard.
• Then go to Settings and select Stream.
• You will then be shown a stream key that is hidden and can be copied without being revealed.
• If you keep using OBS as an example, you will then go to its settings page and paste it.

Setting Up OBS

Continuing to use OBS as an example, you will need to set up your "scene". In short, this is the space where you place things like your webcam, your game and any overlays. To keep things simple, you can use full screen for the game and a webcam.

Video

Plug in the webcam and launch your game. In OBS you need to select 'video source' to find your webcam, then select Game Capture to hook into the game and have it displayed in OBS. If your game does not support OBS when doing this, you may consider playing in windowed mode or borderless fullscreen. In that case, you may want to use Window Capture, which will capture everything on the screen.

Audio

Once audio is set up in OBS you are fine, but this first step can be a bit tricky. You need to add an "audio input capture" for every source you want to capture. For example, if you want two capture cards, you need to add two separate input captures. Once added, they will be included in the audio mixer and you can start adjusting them as you see fit.

Going Live

After you finish moving things around and importing the source material you want on your screen, you can go live right away. If you can, remember to keep watching OBS, because it gives you a not-so-detailed view of what is going right and wrong during the stream. There will be two boxes in the bottom right corner. One will show that your frames are being dropped and how much OBS is straining your PC.

Games With Built-In Streaming

Some games, such as Path of Exile, take the footage directly from the game without needing any external software. Although streaming live on the same computer causes some minor issues in terms of potential performance impact, if you have the right setup this will not be a problem for you.

What Are the Recommended PCs for Twitch Streaming in 2023?

The following computer is ideally recommended for going live:

• GPU: Nvidia RTX 4080 or 3070 Ti
  • Using the 40 series gives you access to AV1, a new format that requires less bandwidth for better quality.
• Processor: Intel 13600K or AMD 7600X (and above)
• RAM: 32 GB DDR5 or DDR4 RAM
• Storage: At least 2x 1TB NVMe SSD