Sometimes, more is more, especially when it comes to streaming games.
Even though a modern gaming PC can handle playing and broadcasting simultaneously, dual PC streaming is far superior to broadcasting on just one.
A dual PC streaming setup will provide a smoother streaming experience and take the stress off your gaming PC, preventing you from losing precious frames in your favorite games.
What Do You Need For A Dual Streaming Setup?
There isn’t one single way to set up two computers for streaming, so I will go over a few hardware and software configurations. Your setup will be slightly different, but it will be the same fundamentally.
Hardware
If you have an older computer or decide to build/purchase one specifically for streaming, you must remember that you have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse for both. If you want to keep your setup clean and tidy, you could get a cheap wireless keyboard and mouse combo, so if you need to change things on the fly, you don’t have to worry about cables or anything getting in the way. Alternatively, you can utilize a KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) Switch. This device allows two computers to share a single monitor, mouse, and keyboard.
I find it’s best to think of your computers as a streaming computer and a gaming computer. This way, you can budget in a way that is more suited to you. If you’re playing the latest triple-A titles, you will need a better graphics card and CPU than you would if you only played small indie games. However, you can get an older graphics card while streaming in an exceptional-quality preset. I’m a great example of this as I can easily stream in 1080p 60fps and have an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070ti in my gaming PC, and my streaming PC has my old NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB from 2016!
Don't worry if your budget doesn't allow for a graphics card. You can still achieve excellent streaming performance with a high-quality CPU from both Intel and AMD.
Accessories
Now that your two PCs are set up and the software has been installed, it’s time to get your accessories. There isn’t a wrong way to do this, but you will need some things to connect everything.
Capture Card
A capture card has input, output, and power/data ports that send the signal from your gaming PC to your streaming PC. There are two types of capture cards: internal and external, like the Elgato Game Capture Neo pictured above. Internal capture cards are great for saving space and can perform better than their external counterparts because they are plugged directly into your motherboard, unlike external capture cards, which are powered by USB. External capture cards, however, are great for portability. Although the performance may not be as good as some internal capture cards, they plug into any device with a USB port, such as a PC, Laptop, Macbook, etc., for the ultimate plug-and-play compatibility.
Headphones
If you only want the audio from your gaming PC, just plug your headphones into your gaming PC, and you are done. If you would like to hear any sounds, alerts, or anything from your stream, you need to complete a few more steps before that is possible.
If you have a headset with a 3.5mm jack, you can get a headphone splitter to separate the cable from your headset and plug it into the headphones jacks on the streaming and gaming PC.
If you have a USB headset instead, more work is involved to get the audio to work. First, plug your USB headset into your gaming PC, get an auxiliary cable, and plug it into the Line Out port on the back of your streaming PC.
Then, plug it into the Line In port on your gaming PC. Next, on your gaming PC, click Start, type and click on Sound Settings, scroll down to the bottom, and click More Sound Settings. The window on the left will show.
Next, click the Recording tab and find the Line In option. Right-click and click properties. Click the listen tab, then check the box that says Listen to this device. Finally, Apply and OK. You can then adjust this volume in the General tab if needed.
A third way of connecting the streaming PC audio to the gaming PC is with an audio mixer. Many brands are available, such as FIFINE, TC Helicon (GoXLR), Razer, etc. This mixer separates all the audio signals into individual audio outputs to let you control them all separately, including your streaming PC audio via the Line Out method mentioned above, but without changing settings on the streaming PC. You can plug it into the audio mixer and control it all via the application with your mixer, and once you have set things up, everything gets mixed into a single audio track and sent to your streaming PC.
Microphone
Sound is the most essential part of your stream. If you have bad sound quality that is not very good to listen to, people will not stay long. So, if you don’t already have a microphone, you want to get a good USB microphone, such as the Blue Yeti, Elgato Wave 3, HyperX QuadCast, etc., and plug it into your streaming PC.
If you plan on talking in-game with teammates or on voice calls with friends during your streams, your best option would be to get an audio mixer. This would allow you to send your microphone from your gaming PC, where your teammates and friends can hear you, to your streaming PC simultaneously so your audience can listen to you.
Webcam
Having a webcam or DSLR isn’t required, but it can add a level of personality and a more direct connection with your viewers as they can see you, and when talking, they can have that connection and see your reaction during every moment.
Whatever you use, whether it’s a DSLR or a webcam, there are plenty to choose from, but quality comes at a cost. DSLR cameras are much more expensive and usually require a capture device such as an Elgato CamLink to transfer the camera signal to the PC. In contrast, a webcam is lower in quality and price but still can perform at a good enough standard for streaming in 1080p.
Software
Now that you have your hardware all sorted and set up, you will need the software, which includes the streaming software. There are a few options, such as OBS Studio, Streamlabs OBS, Xsplit, Twitch Studio Beta, Lightstream Studio, etc. In this tutorial, however, I will use OBS Studio as it’s great for first-timers, has great third-party plugins, and is perfect for dual PC streaming.
Just as with hardware, there are software solutions available for managing multiple PCs. Programs like Synergy, ShareMouse, Mouse Without Borders, or Logitech Flow allow you to share a keyboard and mouse between two PCs. Additionally, for audio management, Voicemeeter Banana serves as a free virtual audio mixer capable of routing audio from both gaming and streaming PCs simultaneously, making it an alternative to hardware audio mixers.
Setting Up Your Dual PC Stream
As mentioned before, you will need streaming software to stream to your platform of choice. Look at Open Broadcast Software (OBS) for a friendly but highly customizable streaming setup. Once you have OBS installed, ensure your internal or external capture card is all plugged in via the motherboard or USB before connecting the two PCs.
Connecting The Two PCs
Connecting your gaming and streaming computer should only take a few minutes, though checking the cables to ensure they are in the correct ports is essential.
- Using an external capture card like the Elgato Game Capture Neo, plug an HDMI cable from your gaming PC into the card's IN connection. Then, connect the USB cable from the capture card to your streaming PC
- If you use an internal capture card, install it on your streaming PC according to the manufacturer's instructions. Then, connect your graphics card in your gaming computer to the HDMI port on the capture card labeled IN on your streaming computer.
Once you have plugged all the cables into the capture cards and PCs, turn them on and go to your gaming computer. On your Windows desktop, right-click and select Display Settings. On this screen, you should see your monitors and another display, which should be named to do with the manufacturer of your capture card and given a number. Select your primary monitor, select the Duplicate Desktop option on the numbered display representing your capture card, and hit apply.
This method of connecting the two computers doesn’t bottleneck or hinder your gaming monitor's performance, especially if it runs at a different resolution or refresh rate.
Lastly, to make all this work in your streaming app, you will need to add a new video source for your capture card and webcam. If you can’t see your gaming PC in the preview window, make sure that the source isn’t hiding behind another window and double-check the cables. If you can see your gaming PC and webcam in OBS, you can check the audio levels of your game and microphone while making sure to mute your webcam audio, or you will have two microphones picking up audio. Generally, audio and video should be synced already, but on the rare occasion they aren’t, it is a good practice to open up a game on your gaming PC, cycle through the menus, and see if they match up on the streaming PC with a bit of test recording.
Once you’ve completed all that, all you need to do is hit that Start Streaming button and go live on your streaming service of choice!
FAQ
Is a dual PC streaming setup worth it?
The short answer is yes. A dual PC setup for streaming takes the load off your gaming PC, allowing you to get more game performance. However, if your gaming PC has issues or crashes, your stream will not be interrupted and restarted because it is all controlled on the streaming PC.
Can you stream without a capture card?
Yes. You can stream without a capture card, but that would mean streaming and gaming on a single computer. You will need an internal or external capture card to stream on one computer and play on another.
Do you need an audio mixer to stream with two PCs?
No. You can stream without an audio mixer, but you need two separate microphones if you plan on talking on stream and in-game chat on your gaming PC. An audio mixer makes things easier as it’s much more manageable, and you can control the audio from your streaming and gaming PC on one piece of hardware.
What is the best CPU/GPU for dual PC streaming?
You don’t need the BEST CPU or GPU for a dual PC streaming setup. You can invest more in the CPU and GPU for your gaming PC, especially if you are playing triple-A titles. So, having an Intel i7 1300k paired with an NVIDIA 3000/4000 series graphics card is a great choice. For your streaming PC, a decent multithreaded CPU like the i5 12600k and an NVIDIA 2000 series and newer would work fine.
What is the best streaming software for dual PC streaming?
There is no best software for streaming, as they all deliver the same features, mostly. Some software, like SLOBS, has built-in alerts and features, but unlike OBS Studio, you can’t install third-party plugins for even more functionality. If you are new to streaming or dual PC streaming, I recommend using OBS Studio.
What is a better graphics card for streaming, NVIDIA or AMD?
NVIDIA takes the lead here, especially with the 3000/4000 series, because they can use the NVENC and the AV1 codec, with the AV1 codec giving much better encoding quality at the same bitrate than NVENC.