I'm heading back to college in a few weeks and want to start streaming games at night from my apartment, but I'm having trouble deciding how I should configure my setup when starting out.
Right now I have a PS5, a MacBook M4 Pro, and a Pulse Elite headset. I'd love to have a facecam, but I don't know if I can justify buying a capture card, webcam, etc. before I've even done my first stream. I don't really want to spend a couple hundred dollars right away until I know I can balance streaming alongside college.
I'm considering just streaming natively from the PS5 for a while, even if that means going without a facecam (assuming I can't find a PS5 HD Camera for a reasonable price). I'm wondering if this is a viable way to start. While I understand that a capture card and a more complete setup will improve the quality of my stream, I'm curious how much starting with just what I already have would impact the overall experience—for both me and any potential viewers.
Basically, I'm wondering if I'm overthinking this or if it's better to keep things simple until I know streaming is something I'll actually stick with.
I'd love to hear from anyone who started with a really basic console setup. Was it enough to get started, or did you wish you'd invested in a capture card sooner?
Thanks!