--- title: 'Streamer Equipment Tier List: What''s Actually Worth Buying' source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=QvAxyIGKolY' video_id: 'QvAxyIGKolY' date: 2026-07-27 duration_sec: 907 --- # Streamer Equipment Tier List: What's Actually Worth Buying > Source: [Streamer Equipment Tier List: What's Actually Worth Buying](https://youtube.com/watch?v=QvAxyIGKolY) ## Summary This video ranks streaming equipment from S to C tier based on impact on stream quality. The creator recommends prioritizing lighting and good audio over flashy gadgets like stream decks and dual PC setups. Budget-specific advice is provided for beginners. ### Key Points - **Tier List Introduction** [00:01] — Equipment is ranked from S (highest impact) to C (lowest impact) on stream quality. - **Lighting is S-Tier** [00:42] — Best investment per euro; reduces noise, shapes face, and ensures natural skin tones. Even a simple camera can look great with proper lighting. - **Budget Lighting Options** [01:22] — Single pack under €60, double pack €85. Higher budget: Elgato Key Light or Amaran 60D with softbox. - **Avoid RGB Lights** [02:04] — Overly bright or flickering RGB lights, especially as sole light source, can drastically reduce quality. - **Microphones are Essential** [03:16] — Good sound determines viewer retention. Dynamic microphones are better than condenser for streams as they pick up less room reverb and keyboard noise. - **Microphone Recommendations** [03:54] — Budget: Endorphi Solum Voice S (USB). Mid: Tbone BC500 with Focusrite Scarlet Solo. High: Shure SM7B with Elgato Wave XLR. - **Capture Cards are Optional** [04:33] — Only needed for console gaming or adding an HDMI camera. For PC streaming, capture cards don't improve quality directly. - **Common Capture Card Mistakes** [05:51] — Buying a 4K capture card for PS5 but using a 1080p monitor limits capture to 1080p. Cheap capture sticks have heavy compression. - **Mixing Consoles for Structure** [07:52] — They don't improve sound quality but help separate audio tracks (music, Discord, alerts) for a stress-free stream. - **Stream Deck is Unnecessary** [11:10] — Often overbought by beginners. Alternatives: Touch Portal app or OBS hotkeys offer similar functionality for free or cheap. - **Streaming PC vs. Dual PC** [12:52] — A single powerful streaming PC is S-tier. Dual PC is C-tier for quality improvement due to high cost and complexity. - **Budget Recommendations** [14:15] — €150: lighting + USB mic. €300-500: XLR mic/interface + monitor. €800-1200: add camera and capture card. ### Conclusion Prioritize lighting and audio above all else; skip unnecessary gadgets like stream decks and dual PC setups. Invest in systems and community growth for long-term success. ## Transcript doesn't automatically mean a good stream . However, if you do and buy something for the stream, then at least I'll show you where your money is best spent. I've been testing streaming hardware and equipment for 10 years, which supposedly popular streaming gadgets end up at the very bottom of my list . For each category, you will also receive specific recommendations ranging from cheap to expensive, and what improvements you can achieve for your stream [music] So let's get started. discuss in this video is positioned on a scale from S to C, with S being the highest and C the lowest level. The higher the level, the greater the impact it has on improving your stream. Let's start with the light first. Light is ester because, per euro invested, it brings your image forward the most . Good lighting reduces noise, shapes your face cleanly, and ensures natural-looking skin tones. Even a simple camera can look much better with the right lighting, without changing anything on the camera itself. However, even the best camera can look terrible without the right lighting . If your budget is n't that big, you can for just under €60 as a single pack or for €85 as a double pack. If you have a larger budget, I would always advise you to opt for LED panels or softboxes with a n't have to set the light as bright and you achieve a softer illumination. One example would be the Elgato Keyight or, even better, an Amaran 60D together with a suitable softbox like the Aperture Lightdome 3. That's how I light myself and my setup, for example, to . However, avoid the common mistake of using overly bright or flickering RGB lights in the background, or even illuminating yourself solely with RGB lights. This can drastically affect the quality. Next, we'll look at the camera. The camera is here because it only The camera is here because it only also stream perfectly well without a camera . However, having a camera offers many advantages. Your viewers can recognize your facial expressions and G-Stick, and intensely, leading to a stronger bond with your community . For a small budget, a good webcam or an older APS-C camera with Clean HDMI already works surprisingly well. Examples would be the somewhat dated Logitech C920, or, with a slightly larger budget, an left, you could opt for a used Sony A5100, or go a step further and choose a Sony ZV10 Mark I. I personally use a high-end camera and rely on a Sony A74. Do streaming, but mainly for YouTube videos. videos below in the video description. Just avoid the mistake of buying a camera first and investing in lighting later. But let's start with the microphones. Microphones are here because good sound determines whether viewers stay or switch off. I mean, if a microphone sounds as tinny, noisy, and echoey as it does now, it's definitely not fun for the viewer . Does your microphone sound clean and does your voice come through clearly without background noise? This greatly improves the quality of your stream. Especially in a stream setup, dynamic microphones generally work better than condenser microphones, as less room reverb is picked up and the pounding of your keyboard is not transmitted as strongly into the stream. For a really small budget, the Endorphi Solum Voice S is a truly solid starting point as a USB microphone. If you have a slightly larger budget, I would go straight for an XLR microphone like the one for the Tbone BC500 and then an interface like the Focus R Scarlet Solo or the Elgato Wave XLR. If you want to go all in as a streamer, then there's probably no way around the Shore SM7B, and you'll also need an interface with enough gain. The Elgato Wave XLR also works very well in combination here . However, there are other possibilities, which I will discuss later in the video. Very important with the microphone: make sure you are close to the microphone, speak into it at the right spot, and first and foremost, adjust the gain correctly. But you can also find the relevant videos below in the video description. Let's continue with the capture cards. Capture cards are cheaper because you only need them if you're playing console games or want to input a camera via HDMI . For pure PC streams, a capture card alone does not bring any noticeable improvement in quality, or rather, it simply doesn't make sense. You can stream your screen or gameplay directly without using a capture card. However, if you want to integrate a console, a second PC or a camera into your stream via HDMI , you can start with an inexpensive 1080p 60 capture card. One example is the Ava Media Live Gamer Mini. If you need higher resolutions or want to use more than 60 Hz, you will have to spend a little more money. For me, the best capture card currently available is the Elgato 4KX. When it comes to capturing a second PC or a console like the PlayStation 5 . Do you want to capture with a 4K camera ? Be sure to check out the AV Media Camstream 4K, and if you have more than one 4K camera with HDMI, then the Elgato Camling Pro, while it's still available, or a Blackmagic Quad HDMI Recorder. Most mistakes in this area involve, for example, buying a 4K capture card for the PS5, but only having a 1080p monitor , which means that capturing only works in 1080p. This will quickly turn your B-tier upgrade into a C-tier upgrade. Alternatively, you could buy a cheap Noame Capture Stick to compression is so severe that the image becomes really unpleasant. Yes, and unnecessary. If you're buying a capture card, take a close look beforehand at what you want to capture and what specifications your capture card have understood the sequence so far, now comes the step that will really move you forward week after of the equipment, but because of the system behind it. This refers to reach, community, and the first real revenue. I have been mentoring beginners for years and I always see the same pattern. Those who stick with it work with a clear weekly plan and regular feedback. Those who quit start their first streams, despair that no one is watching, and quit again. To avoid exactly that, I created the PTS Blueprint. The PTS Blueprint is my online course with monthly Q&A sessions. You get a practical roadmap and at the same time have a place to ask your questions. This helps you keep track of things and grow according to a concrete plan to position your content correctly and thereby You will also learn how to build a returning community and how to monetize your own content . So, gradually generate the first income. We meet live once a month to ask questions and plan the next steps. You receive feedback and also see how others solve the same problems. In addition, there will be a private Discord channel with me and all participants, where you can post questions at any time or participants. If that's exactly what you're missing, the link to the PTS Blueprint is at the bottom of the video description. Sign up and join us In the video we will now continue with the next animal, and audio routing. Mixing consoles and clean routing are essential because they clean routing are essential because they Mixing consoles are only a bonus, as they do n't necessarily give you better sound , but they can provide more structure and a stress-free stream. The biggest advantage is the separation of your signals into separate tracks. Your music, Discord and alerts can be controlled separately. This allows you to make targeted adjustments during editing or live, instead of you can mute yourself without the game muting as well, and you can mute the music for WoDs while the livestream Software routing works very well for beginners, for example. The upcoming Elgato Wavelink 3 or Steel Series sonar are completely free to use with any microphone and to virtually separate and control all your audio cleanly . All-in-one solutions offer you the most convenience. [music] Here you can, for example, opt for the Hercules Stream 200 XL, or go one step further and choose a Road Roadcaster Duo. Both offer you not only enough power to amplify your microphone, but also the ability to filter your audio, separate and control tracks, and real physical faders. With each option, make sure you the headphones or do n't want to hear gameplay with a slight delay submixes, which allow you to control the mixed audio separately for yourself and for the stream or recording . If you do same mix as you, which again limits your options. In short, mixing consoles are not a direct upgrade to your stream quality, but they help to control it more stress-free, which your viewers will notice in your composure. But now let's move on to the setup around your streaming location. Monitors, mouse and keyboard are more C-tier for stream quality, but still important for your everyday life. The same applies to your desk and chair, because without comfort your streaming sessions can sometimes become unpleasant. You should pay a little more attention to the monitors. If you plan attention to the monitors. If you plan I would recommend very basic 4K60 monitors . These are usually available for around €200 and have a high resolution to display a lot, but no spectacular features that you don't need for the Ran display anyway. However, I would think carefully about your main monitor , because if you also game on it, the choice of monitor will not only affect you, but also the stream. It becomes quite difficult, for example, if your main monitor has an Ultra White resolution, but you want to stream in 16 Z9 , because then you will either get a distorted image or the stream will have a squashed image. The only solution here is to transmit the image to the stream with black bars and cover them with other content. Possible, but not ideal. Mouse and keyboard are important for you, but usually not at all for your viewers that you use quiet switches , so that the click of your keyboard is not necessarily audible in the stream . Everything else is a will not affect the quality of the stream. But what about the here too, one must be completely honest and say that these investments usually only benefit you, but not your viewers. However, in my opinion, a good chair is still important; your back will thank you if you regularly spend several hours on it . And believe me, the older you get noticeable it becomes. I'm screwed. Ultimately, everything surrounding your stream setup is definitely not important for improving the quality of your stream. However, a tidy and that you are likely to be more relaxed, and your viewers will notice that. Some of you will certainly have completely miscategorized the following equipment stream scrollers like the Elgato Stream Deck. For me, this belongs in Ctier, as it does stream at all. Let's be honest, beginners in particular tend to buy an Elgato Streamdeck very quickly, since it seems to be considered essential . I do is bad. I use some of them myself , but I also use them sensibly for my setup. The Elgato Streamdeck isn't exactly cheap, and if you only use it to switch scenes in the stream or mute audio sources, I see absolutely no advantage. Alternatively, I would recommend using Touch Portal , which smartphone or mobile phone . This also allows you to change scenes, mute or unmute audio, and much, much more. And it's even easier to get started by simply using the hotkey options in OBS Studio . Yes, you don't have fancy LED icons, but you can still switch scenes very easily. Now let's move on to the streaming PC or a dual PC setup. In my opinion, a dedicated streaming PC is S-tier, because the better your main PC is, the higher the quality of streaming, gaming, and even budget, I would therefore always consider what I want to play besides streaming and recording, and in what quality. And depending on your budget, that can do all of that in parallel without any problems. You can also find various systems specifically designed for streaming via the link to Dubaro at the bottom of the video description. However, many streamers are now talking about a so-called dual PC, and here I have to honestly say, that 's Ctier. I personally use a dual PC and wouldn't want to go back , but nowadays hardware has become so powerful that a dual PC does n't offer any improvement in stream quality; the only stream quality; the only complex cabling, increased electricity costs, and of course the cost of a second PC. Anyone who is considering what makes sense given their budget should really put a dual PC setup at the very bottom of their list. But what would I prioritize with different budgets? Have you z. For example, around €150. Then focus first on lighting and a decent USB microphone. If the budget is between €300 and €500, I would recommend not only good lighting but also an XLR microphone with an interface and possibly integrate another monitor into the setup to have a better overview. And with a budget of €800 to €1200, in addition to the previous equipment recommendations, a decent camera with a capture card is also on the priority list. At the end of the day, there are many things a streamer can spend money on, stream by focusing on the essential components. Feel free to write in the comments what you would value or what you valued in your current equipment. See you in the equipment. See you in the next video.