You need fewer things to start streaming than most shopping lists suggest. The category of essentials is genuinely short: a computer that can encode video, a microphone that is not your laptop's built-in one, streaming software, and an account on a streaming platform. Everything else is improvement on the baseline, not the baseline itself.
This article covers what each category does and where to spend or not.
A computer that can encode video
For chat-led streams of 2D or older 3D games, any laptop or desktop sold in the last five years with 16 GB of RAM is enough. The bottleneck is encoding video while running the game.
If your computer has a recent NVIDIA GPU (GTX 1050 or newer), the GPU does the encoding and the CPU is barely involved. This is the easiest setup.
If your computer has no discrete GPU, the CPU does the encoding. You will want at least 6 CPU cores for a comfortable margin. Older or low-power processors can stream chat content, but live games at 1080p will likely stutter.
A console (Xbox or PlayStation) can broadcast directly to Twitch and YouTube without a PC at all. This is the cheapest entry point if you only stream console games.
A microphone
The single biggest jump in stream quality is a real microphone. Your laptop's built-in microphone makes you sound distant and tinny no matter how good your camera is.
Three tiers:
- Under £100. A USB condenser like the Samson Q2U, Fifine K669, or Maono PD200X. Easy to set up, sounds clean, good enough that you will not need to upgrade for years.
- £100 to £300. A USB or USB/XLR microphone like the Shure MV7, Audio-Technica AT2020USB+, or Rode Podcaster. Better off-axis rejection and richer tone.
- Over £300. An XLR microphone (Shure SM7B, Electro-Voice RE20) plus an audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, GoXLR). Worth it only if you have already streamed for a year and know you want the upgrade.
Buy the mic stand and pop filter together. Both are cheap and both make a clear difference.
Streaming software
OBS Studio is free, open source, and the standard for most setups on PC and Mac.
For consoles, the built-in broadcast app is your only option. PC users with an Elgato capture card can route a console through OBS.
There is no quality benefit to paid streaming software. Free options are the professional standard.
A stable internet connection
Streaming uses upload bandwidth. The download speed quoted on most home broadband plans is largely irrelevant.
Minimum: 5 Mbps upload, wired Ethernet. This supports 720p at 30 fps with headroom.
Comfortable: 10 Mbps upload or more. Supports 1080p 60 fps with safe margins.
Wi-Fi can work but introduces jitter that causes occasional dropped frames. If you must use Wi-Fi, choose 5 GHz and stay close to the router. A powerline adapter is a cheap fix if Ethernet cabling is impossible.
A webcam (optional)
A webcam is not required to stream. Many large streamers do not face-cam at all, particularly in voice-content categories or while playing games where the face is a distraction.
If you do want one:
- Under £80. Logitech C920 is the long-standing default. Decent in good light.
- A used DSLR with a clean HDMI output and a capture card, if you already own the camera. Better image, more work.
- A modern smartphone via apps like Camo (iPhone, Android). Often beats a £200 webcam for free.
Lighting matters more than the camera. A £15 ring light or a window improves any camera more than swapping cameras improves a badly lit shot.
Lighting
One key light in front of you (not behind, not above) is the entire lighting setup for most streamers. A ring light, a softbox, or a daylight-balanced LED panel all work. Avoid mixing warm and cool light sources in the same shot.
A second monitor (recommended later)
A second monitor lets you keep chat visible without alt-tabbing or interrupting the game. It is the single ergonomic upgrade most streamers regret not making sooner. Any cheap 24-inch 1080p monitor at £100 to £150 is enough.
A stream deck (much later)
A stream deck is a small panel of programmable buttons. It is useful for switching scenes, triggering alerts, muting yourself, and running other shortcuts during a stream. You will not need one in your first year. Consider it once your stream has multiple scenes you switch between regularly.
What you do not need
A green screen, RGB lights, a custom desk, dual webcams, a separate microphone arm for each guest, or a second computer for streaming are all features of a mature setup. None of them belong on day one. Stream for three months on the minimum kit, then upgrade exactly what you find limiting.