Twitch improves its streaming options, now supports 1080P and 60fps

By Mark Coppock March 31, 2017

twitch now supporting 1080p and 60fps streaming plays dark souls thumb — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re a Twitch game streamer, then you will want to go check your internet connection and see how fast your upload speeds can get. The streaming service upped its game significantly, offering 1080P and 60fps streaming support, and so it’s not just your download speed that you will want to pay attention to.

Obviously, there are significant quality advantages to streaming at Full HD resolutions at the sweet spot of 60fps. But the Twitch blog took a few minutes to outline just what the change means and some things that you will want to consider before you go the high-resolution route.

In support of the new high-quality spec, Twitch is removing the 3.5-megabit “ingest” limitation, which for streamers means their upload speeds. While it recommends three to six megabits in general, they push their recommendation to the upper end of that range for the highest-quality broadcasters. If your internet service provider isn’t providing you with a consistent six-megabit upload speed, then you will want to reconsider streaming at the highest rate.

Twitch has you covered there as well, as it is now supporting numbered quality options, or transcodes, providing more options for when your source is of lower quality or you’re not hitting those bandwidth requirements. You can check out recent transcode updates that the company implemented for further assurances that you can achieve a quality broadcast.

Finally, Twitch provided a way for you to check on whether or not your channel has been enabled with the quality options. Go to the Twitch Inspector and look at your latest stream data. If it includes a “Transcode V2” indicator, then you are all set. The company is rolling things out and so if you’re not ready yet, keep checking back.

You can go to stream.twitch.tv to research some options on how to set up your stream. In the meantime, you can start planning your next streaming sessions with an eye toward providing your audience with Full HD at a robust 60fps.

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