What internet speed do you need for streaming Twitch?

Gamer in front of computer streaming on twitch with high speed internet

If you’re into gaming, you’ve undoubtedly already heard of Twitch. The live streaming service was launched in 2011 and now caters to gamers worldwide, broadcasting everything from music broadcasts to esports competitions.

Although the type of content found on Twitch is increasingly diverse, the streaming platform remains best known as a hub for gamers. Video gaming professionals stream themselves live on the platform, while passionate fans log on to view videos for entertainment purposes, pick up tips from experts in action and feel part of a community.

Why is Twitch so popular?

Twitch is hugely popular in the gaming community for a few reasons.

First, there’s the sheer selection of entertainment options. The platform offers a huge variety of things to watch, from old-school Mario 64 to trendy Fortnite and professional esports.
Second, Twitch is live, creating a more engaging real-time experience than pre-recorded videos.
Finally, Twitch is interactive. Viewers can contribute to group chats as they watch their favorite pros play, interacting with others and getting responses directly from the gamer in action. They can follow their favorite players and even give them donations. Many pros are known just as much for their unique personalities and humorous banter as for their gaming skills.

As of February 2021, Twitch boasted approximately 9.52 million active streamers, according to Statista. You’ll need a top-quality internet connection if you want to enjoy uninterrupted streaming. This guide explains the bare minimum versus optimal requirements for high-quality, frustration-free Twitch streaming.

Read on to find out if your current plan offers sufficient internet speed for Twitch live streams or if it’s time for an upgrade.

Minimum recommended internet speed for Twitch streaming

If you plan to stream via Twitch, you’ll want a minimum internet speed of 3 to 6 megabits per second (Mbps). Twitch provides guidelines for bitrate speed recommendations in relation to other factors, like your computer hardware, on this page. Note that Twitch guidelines are in kilobits per second (Kbps). For reference, 1,000 Kbps is equal to 1 Mbps.

The platform further explains some of the ways that bitrate impacts your gameplay by influencing factors like:

Buffering time
Connectivity consistency
High-definition video quality resolution (A high-resolution stream, such as 1080p, 60 frames per second, fps or frame rate, will require a higher bitrate.)

Most standard home internet connections should meet the bare minimum requirement of 3 Mbps. You can double-check your connectivity speed at home using an online internet speed test site. It will review a few key elements impacting your internet connectivity and reliability, including download speed, upload speed, and ping rate.

Ping rate refers to the rate at which your device receives a response from your internet connection after the device has sent a request. Ping rate can impact latency, the delay that occurs from the point when you take an action in a video game to the point that the action is conveyed on the screen. A lower ping rate means faster and more responsive play.