Streaming a game asks a lot of one computer: the game itself, capture, encoding, alerts, chat, music and a mic — often across four or five separate programs. When they compete for the same CPU and GPU, the game stutters and the stream drops frames.
What a game streamer actually needs
- Game and screen capture with a webcam overlay.
- Hardware encoding (NVENC, AMD or Apple) so the game keeps its frames.
- Chat on screen, plus alerts for follows, subs and donations, and polls.
- Clear mic audio: noise gate and noise suppression, with the game and music balanced under it.
- Streaming to Twitch, YouTube and Kick — ideally at once.
- A vertical 9:16 version for Shorts, Reels and TikTok.
Settings for smooth gameplay
- Encode with the GPU's hardware encoder, not x264, unless you have a second PC.
- Stream 1080p at 60 fps only if your upload comfortably exceeds 8 Mbps; otherwise 720p60 or 936p60.
- Cap the game's frame rate a little below your monitor, to leave the GPU some room.
- Close browsers and launchers you do not need while live.
OBS, Streamlabs or an all-in-one app?
OBS Studio is free and the default for many streamers, with a plugin for nearly everything — and a lot of setup. Streamlabs adds themes and alerts on top of a similar base, with many extras behind a subscription. An all-in-one app trades some of that plugin flexibility for less setup and fewer programs running.
Skynat Live's Creator mode puts capture, chat with polls, alerts and moderation, an audio console with gate and voice isolation, a 9:16 vertical feed, and multistreaming to Twitch, YouTube, Kick, TikTok and more in one app, using your hardware encoder.
Related guide: How to stream to YouTube and Facebook at the same time (without a monthly service)
Related guide: How to stream vertical and horizontal at the same time
Skynat Live puts all of this in one application for Windows and Mac: $99 a year or $19 a month, everything included, nothing renews on its own. You can download it and try it before a real broadcast at skynat.live.
Questions people ask
What is the best free software for game streaming?
OBS Studio is the most popular free option. It is capable but relies on plugins for alerts, multistreaming and advanced audio.
Can I stream to Twitch and YouTube at the same time?
Yes, with software that has multistreaming built in and enough upload for both streams, or through a restream service.
Why does my game lag when I stream?
Usually the encoder and the game are competing for the same hardware. Use the GPU's hardware encoder, cap the game's frame rate and close other apps.