Twitch is an excellent platform to play your favorite games In front of a live audience and get paid for doing what you love. OBS is one of the more popular software for streaming on Twitch but there are plenty of other apps and services that do equally good or even better based on a number of factors. So, in this guide, I will teach you how to stream on Twitch PC without OBS.
There are a couple of alternatives to OBS for streaming on Twitch. You can use Nvidia’s Shadowplay, Xsplit Gamecaster, or SLOBS. Both of these are fantastic tools to get you up and running. If you don’t want to install additional software, Shadowplay is a great option.
In this article, I will discuss these apps, how you can use them and in which ways they outperform OBS. So, keep on reading till the end to find out which steaming method would be the best choice for you.
Do You Need OBS to Stream on Twitch?
Twitch is the indisputable king when it comes to streaming. It is especially popular for game streamers who have taken it as a career as well.
As I mentioned before, OBS is one of the leading software used for streaming on Twitch. But what if you want to use any other software? Is there even an option to do so? Fortunately, there are a couple of alternatives.
Nvidia Shadowplay
One of the best options for Nvidia GPU users is using Shadowplay. The best thing about this software is it encodes in the GPU. What does that mean for you? While most software will encode in the CPU, encoding in the GPU takes some burden from the hardware and gives you better performance.
You will notice the impact on the performance of running Shadowplay is quite low compared to other streaming software.
However, there are major downsides to using it as well. The biggest by far is it doesn’t support any overlays. And when you’re streaming, a cool-looking overlay on your streams will give you that extra bit of eye-candy. With Shadowplay, you can only show the gameplay to your viewers.
For content creation and pre-recorded gameplays, Shadowplay is quite a formidable force though. The built-in tools are excellent.
Xsplit Gamecaster
Another cool alternative is Xsplit Gamecaster. This is free software with tons of cool features. But if you are familiar with free-to-use products, you will know that there are some inherent downsides to using them. But I will touch on the cons of this a bit later. Let’s look at why this works as a replacement for OBS.
First of all, you can stream to a host of different platforms. You can stream to YouTube, Facebook, and of course, Twitch. This level of versatility makes it a great choice for streamers who want to grow their followers on all these platforms.
And when streaming is your career, having a presence on multiple platforms is a must. It also has a very streamlined interface which makes it quite an easy software to use. Especially beginner streamers will love it.
Now onto the downsides. Some of the coolest features are locked behind a paywall. You can only stream in 720p resolution in the free version. With higher resolutions, you will have to deal with an Xsplit watermark.
In-game chat, custom logos, and green screen support are also paid features. On top of that commercial use requires you to have a license as well.
With all that being said though, we think it is still a good software to use for streaming. And if you do need the extra features, you can just pay them to unlock all the things you need and see it as an investment.
Streamlabs OBS
Streamlabs OBS is not actually OBS. It is however built on the same foundation as OBS though. This one comes with a sleeker interface, in-game chat support, and also free customization. Think of Streamlabs OBS or SLOBS as it is often abbreviated as an advancement of OBS.
It uses a revamped code. The ease of use, sleeker looks, and rich features are what make SLOBS such an appealing choice for streamers. Auto optimization makes starting a stream a piece of cake.
You can add themes to your streams to give them a touch of your personality. There is layout support, widgets and more. Keep in mind though, the performance difference between OBS and Streamlabs OBS isn’t too different.
How to Stream on Twitch With a PC Without OBS
Honestly, starting your streaming channel on Twitch is super easy. You can easily get started with a few simple steps. I will give you a brief overview of how the process would look like.
Step 1 – Get your hardware sorted
The first thing you would want is to get your hardware sorted and set up taken care of. This will include the camera, microphone, lighting, and your PC/streaming setup. Since you will be using your PC to stream, you won’t need to bother setting up external devices like a game console, camera.
Step 2 – Create a Twitch account
This one is of course a no-brainer. You will need a Twitch account to get started. Sign up for twitch and also ensure you enable two-factor authentication. This gives you that extra layer of security.
Another important note is to read the community guidelines. Knowing what is okay and what is not is important if you do not want to get banned.
Step 3 – Pick a streaming software
Next is picking a streaming software to use for streaming. You can pick any of the ones we mentioned depending on your needs.
Shadowsplay is especially great for Nvidia users. It’s simple to use unlike OBS and performs equally well.
Step 4 – Tweak your settings and set them up just right for you.
Then you need to find the setup that works for you. After you have connected your streaming software to Twitch, go in the settings and look around a bit. See what features you want to use and fine-tune the settings to make it work for you. You need to add all the right audio and visual sources.
Step 5 – Start steaming
Once you have sorted all these out and know what kind of content you want to create, you can easily start letting the world experience your fun streams. See, it isn’t too hard at all is it?
Can I Stream on PC Without a Capture Card?
A capture card is useful for recording the screen and then using the footage for playback. This is great for recording whatever game you are playing and then streaming to platforms like Twitch. But to answer your question, you do not actually need a capture card to stream.
Capture cards are useful for recording from an external source like a gaming console. If you are just playing the game on your PC, then you use any of the software we mentioned and stream without having to worry about a capture card altogether.
Conclusion
Streaming on Twitch is a very easy thing to get started. There are a lot of ways to get on about it and a lot of software alternatives to use. Hopefully, now you know how to stream on Twitch PC without OBS. All you need to do now is decide what you want to stream and take the plunge. Exciting times await ahead.
Thanks for reading till the end. Best of luck with your streaming career.
