YouTube gaming is quite popular but not many people know how to get started. If you’d like to be the next Pewdiepie, the following information might just help you get on the right track.
Equipment
If you’d like to establish your brand on YouTube, you are not going to be able to do so without proper equipment. Your content may actually not come across well if you don’t have the necessary tools to exhibit them all. In short, you should prepare a proper list of equipment you would need before launching your channel.
A Computer
A personal computer is a must. Your prebuilt gaming pc would get almost everything done. It would be needed to edit your gaming videos, upload the videos, and also play games. Since you’re considering launching a gaming channel, make sure the PC you’re using is capable enough to handle long gaming sessions. The computer should be able to handle multiple applications simultaneously and also must properly process your videos. Many gaming YouTubers have their PCs custom-built so that the computer can handle an enormous load and can also be upgraded in the future, if and when the need arises.
On the other end of the spectrum, you also have successful gaming YouTubers who make do with their trusty old MacBook Pro, since MacBooks are invariably the best portable computers for video editing. Talking about editing, make sure your PC has good editing software installed. There are multiple options available. A lot of people use Final Cut Pro and Sony Vegas. There are just two of the several tools available.
Since you would be recording multiple hours of gaming, it’s important you have more than sufficient storage too. Have multiple external hard drives handy as you would likely run short of space on your computer. Backing up content won’t just save space on your computer, but would also ensure no files are lost if your computer gives up the ghost on you.
Gaming Device
You would need a gaming tool as well. In the past, most gamers primarily used gaming consoles. However, in recent times, the PC gaming trend is picking up, thanks to indie game developers and their games. The ideal path to take would be trying both and creating a balance between them. Having both gaming setups could turn out expensive, but you can start small and build from there. Perhaps you could begin with Xbox or PlayStation and later purchase a gaming computer when your YouTube channel starts gaining traction.
By the way, you need not spend several thousand dollars to buy a good gaming computer. There are cheap gaming PC available and they work just fine. Regardless, make sure the one you buy has all the features required.
Game Capture Device
You would also need a device to capture your gaming sessions. There are many game capture equipment available; however, the most popular tool is Elgato. Elgato connects to your gaming computer or console. It then starts recording your gameplay and saves the footage on your PC. The footage could later be edited using any software of your choice.
Camera and Microphone
Most YouTube gaming videos would have the uploader’s face in some corner of the video. Adding your face to the video adds a perspective that viewers like. Therefore, buying a camera that captures HD video – 4K would be great. Also, don’t forget a microphone that produces good-quality sound. Actually, the best mic for gaming is more important than your camera. Bad audio is the worst thing you could do to your gaming videos. Therefore, give audio as much importance as you give to video.
The Plan
When all necessary equipment is in place, you may start to plan your videos and decide the kind of gaming videos your gaming channel would feature. A gaming channel is obviously going to showcase gaming videos, but you could narrow your niche further if you want.
There is a range of gaming videos you could possibly make. The job is simply to find popular games that you are comfortable playing and recording. If you’re running short of ideas, the following are some suggestions you may find handy.
Gaming Commentary
In the past, gaming videos with commentary were quite the rage. Many big gaming YouTubers carved a niche for themselves by playing games and commentating on them. A commentary video’s format is quite simple. You just have to play the game and comment simultaneously. You are expected to be fairly skilled at the game so that you could throw in some tips and tricks too during gameplay. There are also people who record gameplay and later simply talk about a specific related topic over it. Gaming commentary currently isn’t as common as it used to be. However, you can still incorporate the style if you would like to cater to a niche audience. You may not end up earning several million subscribers but you would still do great.
Random Games/ Funny Moments
Funny videos are probably the most popular kinds of videos on YouTube. In the case of fun gaming, you would be simply playing a game and having fun, resorting to whacky things that lead to hilarious moments for you and also your audience. If you have a gaming team joining in on the fun, things would be even better. The key here is to play many random games, especially indie games. A lot of the established YouTubers at the moment film such videos. People fancy the entertainment on offer, which could help your channel grow quickly.
Gaming News
Finally, you could try being more professional by making videos on gaming news. These videos would be worth the effort and time spent as many people would want to know what’s cooking in the world of gaming. This should help you build a fairly sizeable audience but don’t expect to earn millions of subscribers taking this route. Not all successful YouTubers have millions of subscribers, by the way.
Zero in on an idea that would work best for you, implement the idea and start building an audience.
Let’s summarize everything that we learned in this article.
- Upload your videos consistently, preferably daily.
- Keep your audience engaged at all times and also connect to them time and again by responding to their comments and making videos based on their requests.
- Have a unique style. You can certainly take inspiration from other YouTubers but don’t copy or get too inspired by them.
Once you’ve got the equipment and gaming ideas, you may start making and uploading videos.
