So you feel like you have the perfect game or category to stream in, but how do you let Twitch know what game you are playing or which category you will be streaming in?
How To Show Twitch What Game You Are Playing?
There are two ways to show Twitch which game you are playing:
- Logging into Twitch, going to your creator dashboard, then going to your stream manger and clicking on “Edit Stream Info.” From there scroll down to the category section and type in the game or category you will be streaming.
- The second way is by logging into your streaming software and editing your stream info.
In case you are still unsure of how this works, check out my screen shots below.
To show Twitch the game you are playing, first go to Twitch and login to your account. Then, go to your creator dashboard as seen below.
Now go to your stream manager and click on “Edit Stream Info.”
Now scroll down to the category section and type in the game or category you want to stream. Click done. Now Twitch knows what you are streaming and which category to put your stream in.
Now this is if you wanted to use Twitch to show which game you are playing. If you want to use your streaming software to show Twitch which game you will be playing like I do, here is how you do it.
Oh and by the way, I use Streamlabs OBS (SLOBS), but the process will be similar on other platforms.
To edit which game you are playing on Streamlabs, go into the edit stream info section by clicking on the little pencil on top of your chat section.
A window will appear with different options for you to edit your stream. Go to the “Twitch Game” section, select or type in the game you want to be displayed on Twitch and then click “Update” down below.
Personally, I like to edit my streaming info inside my streaming software (SLOBS) because I find it to be faster and easier.
I can also make other edits to my stream if needed all in the same spot rather than having to switch between Twitch and my software. But that is just a personal preference.
As you can see though, the process is quite simple. But can you change the game or streaming category that you are streaming in once you begin your stream or are you stuck once you click “Go Live.”
How To Change What Game You Are Playing On Twitch While Streaming?
Once you have begun your stream, you can switch which game you are playing in two ways:
- Logging into Twitch, going to your creator dashboard, then going to your stream manger and clicking on “Edit Stream Info.” From there scroll down to the category section and type in the game or category you will be streaming.
- The second way is by logging into your streaming software and editing your stream info.
As you can see, switching which game you are playing WHILE you are streaming is done in the same exact way as when you edit your stream info to begin a stream.
Again, it is super easy and if you need any extra help switching your streaming category while you are streaming then review the images above. They will walk you right through it.
How To Switch To Just Chatting On Twitch?
There are two ways to switch to just chatting on Twitch:
- Logging into Twitch, going to your creator dashboard, then going to your stream manger and clicking on “Edit Stream Info.” From there scroll down to the category section and type in “Just Chatting.”
- The second way is by logging into your streaming software and editing your stream info and selecting “Just Chatting.”
Just chatting has become Twitch’s most popular category through the years and for this reason it has been given its own category. Isn’t that wild?
It is estimated that over 200 million people a month watch the “Just Chatting” section on Twitch.
Now the “Just Chatting” section is meant for people just kicking back and relaxing, but there are some gamers in there as well.
But honestly, the gaming in the “Just Chatting” section is not the main focus of those streams. It is more of a place to just kick back and hang with friends.
If however, you can’t decide between “Just Chatting” or gaming on Twitch, then see the section below.
Does It Matter What You Stream On Twitch?
Ultimately it does not matter what you stream on Twitch. Twitch is all about building connections and communities and so what you stream is not as important as being a good streamer. Many streamers are very successful streaming things that are not very popular.
Having a niche and a brand are far more important than finding the perfect game to stream. Some streamers don’t even stream videogames and they are still very successful.
Certain Twitch streamers believe that focusing on a single game would result in increased views. However, others argue that there is insufficient evidence to support this point.
I do believe though that if you are one of the top players at a certain game then you should stick with that game, but if you are just an average Joe like me then you will be much better off trying to build a brand and a community than you will be trying to climb the ranks of a videogame.
Many streamers will also argue that it is best practice to stream games that are not saturated (flooded with tons of streamers). I do agree that streaming a game that is not flooded with streamers can help you to get noticed.
For example, if you stream a popular game like Warzone you will be competing against thousands of streamers. If you stream a game like Overwatch, you will have far less competition.
If you are struggling to figure out which games to stream, check out my article here and I will help you to find which games you should be streaming.
As always, if you have any questions or just want to hang with me, stop by my Twitch channel here and say what’s up!
For even more streaming tips and how-to content check out my Youtube channel here. And if you want to check out my streams then stop by my Twitch channel here.
Also, if you are feeling generous, I would really appreciate it if you followed my Twitch channel, you can do so by clicking here. I am trying to grow so that way I can better help you all. I am also up to helping you answer any streaming questions that you may have so feel free to stop by. I really appreciate you all !
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Eric streams 3 days a week on Twitch and uploads weekly to Youtube under the moniker, StreamersPlaybook. He loves gaming, PCs, and anything else related to tech. He’s the founder of the website StreamersPlaybook and loves helping people answer their streaming, gaming, and PC questions.