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Do you need gaming accessories?
The journey of becoming a gamer on YouTube requires some serious investment. And it can be difficult to know where to start. Do you even need to invest in gaming accessories if you’re just a casual gamer?
To answer this question, you first need to think about the future of your account. While you won’t need much equipment when you’re just starting out, you will need it eventually, when wanting to grow your account.
In any case, you don’t need to buy all of the latest and greatest gaming accessories right away. Start small, with the essentials, and add more accessories as you need them. Your dream setup is a possibility, but it takes time to build.
Here is some equipment you need just to start:
Gaming console or personal computer
Gaming consoles and PCs are specifically designed for gaming, so they offer better performance than other devices, such as laptops. This means that you can play games on devices which can provide a more immersive experience.
Choosing between consoles and PCs depends on which kinds of games you want to play, but the latter provides a wider selection of online games.
However, some things to keep in mind are that gaming consoles or PCs can be expensive gaming accessories, especially if you want high-end models, and they can be complex to set up and use, especially if you’re unfamiliar with them. In the long run, however, these will be beneficial when wanting to build an audience.
Screen capturing software
Most of what your audience wants to see is happening on your screen to keep them engaged. Game recording software, or hardware, is what you will use to capture your in-game footage.
You never want to just point a camera at the screen of your computer or television and call it a day. That would give bad quality videos and make your videos look choppy. This means recording your screen with any software is a gaming accessories essential.
One popular software among YouTube gamers is called OBS, or ‘Open Broadcaster Software’, which is a free software available online. It’s great for gamers as it can be used for live streaming directly to YouTube, or other sharing sites like Twitch.
Webcam or digital camera
This is essential for capturing your face and reactions as you play games. Most successful YouTube gaming channels build rapport with viewers and include them in the experience by including video feed of the player’s face. This is critical to build your channel.
A good webcam will give you clear, sharp video, while a camera will give you more control over the image quality. There are many affordable webcams available that can produce good quality video. However, if you’re serious about your YouTube channel, you may want to invest in better image quality and a digital camera with more features than webcams.
Microphone
With great video feed should also come good-quality audio. Crisp, and real video and audio feed with good commentary will keep viewers coming back for more. This also means taking time to edit audio files to ensure their quality. Scratchy and hard to hear noise can make videos distracting to viewers and reduce engagement in the long term.
Lighting
Since gamers are often in front of a screen, good lighting can help fend off the problems such as screen glare or awkward shadows. Lighting can help make videos more professional and is a long term investment in content creation.
While using artificial lights, you’ll need to experiment with different setups to find what works best for you. Most commonly, gamers tend to purchase a lighting kit with multiple lights, or choose to invest in a ring light for their webcams, which also offer good quality lighting.
Conclusion
Remember to remain within your budget and build on what you have later on. Creating YouTube gaming videos can be a competitive field with many creators vying for attention. To build a successful channel, it’s important to be patient and consistently produce engaging content with these gaming accessories. Collaborating with other YouTubers can also help expand your audience over time.
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