Facebook started as a social media platform, but then it launched its game streaming platforms on the Facebook app back in 2018. Ever since, Facebook has been trying to get to Amazon’s Twitch and YouTube gaming platforms to expand its streaming platform. Users will find the gaming sections inside the Facebook app only, or else they can download the separate app called Facebook Gaming to play unlimited games and get recommendations based on their search.
Other than this, people can broadcast their favorite games with Facebook’s audience. Live streaming games on Facebook is also possible, and here is how you can do it too:
Create a creator page
You have to start by creating your game page on your Facebook account so that you can reach the audience. Facebook has over 2.5 billion monthly users, and uploading the broadcast of your games on the apps will get you a lot of eyes, appreciation, and engagement. So start by creating a creator page by heading to the ‘Create a Gaming Video Creator Page.’ Give a name to your page and categorize it as Gaming Video Creator, as it will describe your page better.
After naming your page, click on the Continue button and then add more details about your profile and update the description section, cover photo, and profile picture so that that audience can be aware of the purpose of the page.
Install a broadcasting software
To stream your gameplay on Facebook, you will be required to install a steaming software program. There are a lot of free streaming softwares that are available in the market; some of the best ones are OBS Studios, Streamlabs OBS, Xsplit Gamecaster, Nvidia Shadowplay. Install either of them to begin streaming live on Facebook gaming. After the installation process, the software will need your permission to analyze your computer’s hardware and internet speeds to configure everything to provide the best performance settings.
You can also manually configure the settings by going to the Settings option of the software and then click on the Output option, and select your encoder. Depending on your CPU, make your choice and then determine the suitable bitrate for Facebook gaming. You should use a bitrate of 4000Kbps, and it is also strongly recommended by Facebook.
The next step is the keyframe interval in which you will have to set two optimal qualities. In the Video Side Panel, choose the output value of 720 p at 30fps. Creators will require Facebook’s Level Up Creature Program to access 180p at 60fps.
Tweak streaming settings
To reach more audience, you will have to install a webcam, voice-over, and overlay to make your page & stream more appealing. Follow these steps to create a scene for streaming:
- Click on the Plus icon on the left corner of the screen.
- Insert a name for your scene, and hit the done button.
- You will be ready to begin, and for continuing your stream, click on the Plus icon under the Sources menu.
- Add the gameplay footage, then start adding your webcam to the scene.
- Click on the Plus sign under the Sources menu again and click on Video Capture Device to select your webcam.
- Again from the Sources menu, click on the Audio Capture Input to add your microphone.
Begin live streaming
From your Facebook Gaming Creator page, click on the Live button. You will find a new page labeled as ‘Live Producer’ appearing on the screen. From here, copy and paste your stream key to the broadcasting software you downloaded. Go to the Settings page of your software and click on Stream> under the Stream Key, paste the code.
From the left side of the menu bar, add a title for your video and add some tags of the game that you are going to play. Adding a tag can increase the chances of engaging more views. If you want, you can also add thumbnails, polls, questions, stickers, etc. to interact with the audience while streaming. Once you are satisfied with all the set-up, click on the go live button from your software. You will be automatically redirected to your page to begin streaming.
While steaming Live, you can keep an eye on the number of viewers engaged in your Live. You can also check their comments, your stream information, and health, etc. to keep your engagement process going. You can check the analytical data once your streaming is over. This will help you get feedback on your streaming, and you can improvise further as per the requirements.
