Thanksgiving is fast approaching for those of us in the United States, and that means it’s almost time for shopping. The holiday gift-giving season begins on Black Friday, but you can’t go out into the cold without some idea of what to get. That’s where GamesBeat comes in. We have a handful of shopping guides to help you pick up the perfect gifts for the special someone in your life. And it’s OK if that someone special is yourself.
For this gift guide, we’re looking at the crucial tools to get for anyone who loves livestreaming on Twitch or YouTube. We’ll update this throughout the end of the year with more deals.
Here’s what you should get.
A CPU and GPU for high-quality encoding
Ryzen 7 3700X
Price: $330
Where to buy: Newegg
Our review: Here
The Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core powerhouse CPU from AMD. It is fast enough for the most demanding games, but it also has 16 threads for processing video content in Premiere or for livestreaming.
Nvidia RTX 2070 Super
Price: $500
Where to buy: Newegg
Our review: Here
Nvidia’s RTX 2070 Super is a great GPU for gaming, but it’s also great for livestreaming. Its built-in NVENC codec is lightweight and looks great even at lower bitrates. This means you can get clear gameplay video without destroying your gaming performance.
A top-notch capture card
Razer Ripsaw HD
Price: $160
Where to buy: Razer, Best Buy
If you want to capture your consoles, I love the Razer Ripsaw HD because of its nearly nonexistent latency. It’s also compact and capable of doing 4K passthrough to your TV.
AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K
Price: $270 (normally $300)
Where to buy: Amazon
Our review: Here
If you are serious about creating content from consoles or a two-PC setup, I would go with the AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K. It can do 4K and HDR at 60 frames per second. This makes it great for recording gameplay from the highest-quality triple-A games.
Great microphone and audio equipment
Blue Yeti X
Price: $170
Where to buy: Google
Our review: Here
The Yeti X is Blue’s latest and best USB microphone. It sounds great, and it is also bursting with features. I like that it monitors your levels using a hardware light on the exterior of the device. It can also use Blue’s voice modulating software that is simple and powerful.
GoXLR Mini
Price: $249
Where to buy: Reverb
If you to upgrade from a USB microphone, the GoXLR Mini is a great way to do that. It provides a simple way to connect an XLR mic to your PC. It also has a bunch of features that are great for creators on YouTube and Twitch — like the ability to control the volume of your game, chat, and mic all with dedicated hardware sliders.
AudioTechnica AT2020
Price: $50
Where to buy: Rudapper
If you get the GoXLR, you’ll need an XLR microphone. And the AT2020 from AudioTechnica is one of the best entry-level mics you can get.
Lights and a green screen
Neewer LED light panel
Price: $50
Where to buy: Amazon
Some lights can really improve the look and feel of your stream. The Neewer LED light panel is an affordable way to bring that to your setup.
Homegear Collapsible Green Screen
Price: $120
Where to buy: Amazon
A green screen is a great way to ensure you can sit in front of your gameplay without getting in the way of too much of the action. The Homegear collapsible green screen is an easy way to add that to your studio. And then you can put it away when you’re not using it.
Author: Jeff Grubb
Source: Venturebeat
