How to Stream Games on Facebook

This article explains how to stream games on Facebook Gaming from your computer, mobile device, or gaming console.

How to Stream on Facebook Gaming

After you've set up your equipment and software, follow these steps to begin streaming:

1. Set up a Facebook Gaming page to host your stream.

2. Go to the Creator Portal website.
   

3. Select Create Live Stream.
   

4. Under Choose where to post, select your Facebook Gaming page.
   

5. Select Choose Video Type. (Go live or Create live video event.)
   

   Toggle Create a test broadcast before going live to do a test run on your video.

6. Under Welcome to Live Producer, select a purpose for going live, then select Get Started.
   

   You may not see this screen if you've loaded the Create Live Video page before.

7. Under Select a video source, select Streaming Software.
   

8. Under Streaming Software Setup, select Copy to copy your stream key.

   Never give out your stream key to anyone, or else they can access your stream.

9. In your broadcast software, select Facebook Live for the Service. To do this in OBS Studio, go to File > Settings > Stream.

10. Enter the Stream Key and Server URL into your streaming software settings. To do this in OBS Studio, go to File > Settings > Stream.

    In some programs, the server will be set to the appropriate default.

11. Once you've set up your stream, start streaming in your broadcast software. A preview appears on Facebook. Select the small window to make it larger.

12. Enter a title and description for your stream and tag a game.

13. Select Go Live (or if doing a test, select Start Test).
    

Monitoring Your Facebook Gaming Streaming 

After going live, Facebook takes you to the Creator Studio, where you'll see helpful information like your number of viewers, stream health, and comments. You can return to the Creator Studio at any time to manage your streams and upload videos. Select Insights to see your viewer metrics and earnings.

What Do You Need to Stream Games on Facebook?

Facebook Gaming supports streaming from PCs or consoles with an HDMI port, so if you want to stream from your console, you'll need to connect it to your computer using a video capture card. Additionally, you'll need some third-party game streaming software, such as OBS Studio or Streamlabs OBS.

You'll probably also want to invest in a quality webcam and a USB mic. To make your streams as professional as possible, consider a complete game streaming setup.

Setting Up Your Facebook Gaming Stream

Before you begin streaming, you'll need to set up your broadcast software. The process differs depending on which program you use. Facebook recommends the following settings:

• Bitrate: 4,000Kbps
• Keyframe interval: 2
• Video output: 720p at 30 frames-per-second

In addition to broadcasting gameplay footage, you'll also want to create a visually appealing layout for your stream. At a minimum, your stream should include a background image and a webcam.

Create a Facebook Gaming Stream Layout in OBS Studio

While you can use Photoshop to create a streaming layout for video games, here's how to set up a basic layout using OBS Studio.

1. Go to File > Settings > Video and change the Base and Output resolutions to 1920x1080, then select OK. This resizes your stream to the best aspect ratio for broadcasting.

2. To add a background image, right-click the blank workspace and select Add > Image. If the image isn't 1920x1080 pixels, you'll have the opportunity to resize it.

   Keep an eye on the Sources box at the bottom of the screen to ensure the background image layer stays at the bottom of the list.

3. If you want to add a webcam, right-click the OBS studio workspace and select Add > Video Capture Device. Give it a simple name like "webcam," and make sure it's above the background in the Sources box.

4. To stream gameplay footage from your PC, right-click the blank workspace and select Add > Game Capture.

5. Set the Mode to Capture specific window, then choose your game as the Window (the program must be running).

6. To stream footage from a game console, unplug the console's HDMI cable from your TV, plug it into the capture card, and then connect the capture card to your computer with the USB cable.

7. Turn on the console, then right-click the OBS studio workspace and select Add > Video Capture Device.

8. After you select your capture card, live footage from the console should appear on your computer. Resize the window and move it to where you want it on your screen layout.