How To: Make Money Playing Video Games From Home!

Can you make money playing video games from home?  In this post, I outline how you can & how to do it!

As a child born in the 80’s, I don’t think I imagined that gaming would have become what it is today. 

Let alone that you could actually make crazy money from being a gamer online.

In the 90’s, my Nintendo 64 got me through many a tough school day. 

Just knowing that it was waiting for me at home, gave me the boost I needed to get through some of those dismal days.

But millions of people out there, from kids to teens, to adults, love to play video games  – to the point of obsession. 

Sure, many people would gladly sit and play video games all day if they could.

So, what if you could get paid to play video games?  Is there a way you could actually earn money from your passion in this way?

Sure you can!

I’m not talking about earning the odd dollar here and there playing measly games online somewhere like Swagbucks, (pocket money site, but not for proper gamers) I’m talking about real money. 

Money you can quit your day-job for!

Today, I’m also only looking at a few ways that you could realistically start ON YOUR OWN…   

Meaning, you don’t need anyone to employ you, you will be working for yourself.

So, I’m going to look at three ways you could legitimately make money playing video games online.

Let’s dig in!

1) Become A Live Streamer:

This is one way that I only recently delved into and it certainly has great potential for Gamers.

You can earn money playing games from your own home; by becoming a live streamer on a platforms such as Twitch.

At the time of writing, Twitch is now one of the most frequented sites on the net, with unique monthly views exceeding 100 million!!!

On twitch, you can watch Gamers playing live; as well as watch professional tournaments and gaming talk shows.

The interesting thing is; some of these online Gamers develop massive followings online; with hundreds of thousands of dedicated fans.

If you can achieve this online superstar status – you can earn pretty handsomely from your efforts.

By looking into twitches top earners online, you can see what potential this opportunity has.

If you’re an average professional streamer; you may make in the region of $2000 – $5000 per month, (pretty decent, right?).

On the higher end thouugh; some of the top players can bring in considerably more. 

Roughly speaking; anywhere from $100,000 – to a million+ a year, (yep, you did read that correctly).

These large sums are going to be derived from a mixture of different income streams:  

For example; via Ad revenue, YouTube Ad revenue, income from Twitch’s partnership program (paying around $3 for every 1k ad views, $5 a month for every subscriber); Amazon affiliate links, sponsorships and donations via paypal.

What Equipment Do You Need?

One bonus about online streaming, is that you really don’t need very much to get started.  As far as streaming goes, your console already has that inbuilt ability.

But you will also need to record yourself and your voice as you play. 

To do this, you’ll need Kinect camera if you’re using an Xbox.  A PS eye camera, if you’re on a Playstation.

But if you’re using a PC, you will need broadcasting software, as well as a microphone and webcam.

What Qualities Do You Need To Be A Good Streamer?

If you’re a shy type who really hates the thought of thousands of people watching them and listening to them on camera; then this probably isn’t the gig for you!

Not that you shouldn’t go ahead and try it anyway, you may be surprised.

(If you don’t like the idea of being on camera, then you will want to check out an alternative way you can earn from gaming below…)

Being camera shy aside, there are going to be some additional qualities that could help you if you’d like to be a professional streamer.

These may include:

• Having a good/clear speaking voice.  If you’re a mumbler, or have an irritating tone to your voice, it’s unlikely that people are going to want to listen to you for a long period of time. 

It’s harsh, but that’s just the reality.  Wouldn’t I know it, I have a pretty nasal voice myself and highly doubt people would want to listen to me! 

To give it your best shot – speak clearly and talk as though you’re chatting to a friend, which will help others relate to you.

• Having a strong personality.  Obviously the people who are going to do the best at this, are going to be people with engaging personalities in some way. 

Some may be extremely amusing, (intentionally or unintentionally), some may have their own individual quirks that make them appealing to certain audiences, maybe some react in hilarious ways during their games. 

Whatever it is, you’re going to want to be appealing to people watching you.  Again, you may not know how well you’re going to come across unless you just give it a go.

• They stick to a set schedule.  Streamers that are successful will have a fixed schedule when they come on.

This makes them predictable to their audience who will know exactly when they can catch them live.

• They talk to their viewers/fans on chat.  Some of these Gamers are idolized just like you’d expect some celebrities are and some are also getting the paycheck to match. 

By giving your viewers some attention, they’re going to come back for more.  So, be sure to engage with your viewers on chat and make them feel a part of the experience.

• They treat streaming as a business – if you want streaming to be a hobby, that’s likely what it will end up being. 

Becoming a successful streamer is going to take a certain amount of time, effort and dedication. 

The no.1 way you will ever bring in a decent income from this, is to grow your following.  The more followers you have, the more money you can make.

2) Start Gaming On YouTube:

Most streamers will also be on YouTube as well, as it will provide them additional income potential.

But you’re really not keen on showing your face on camera, you can still earn from playing video games online on YouTube alone.

You can create videos with something like screen-cast-o-matic; which records only your screen.

By videoing your screen playing certain games, reviewing games, or simply demonstrating tips/tricks and cheats – you can help other Gamers online and potentially earn money in the process.

There are various ways you can make videos without actually being on camera – although, this will usually still include recording your voice, so if you still aren’t keen on that, you will want to scroll down for my next suggestion…

With YouTube, you can earn money via the YouTube partner program, (adding Ads to your videos) and this is a numbers game.

The views your videos have, the more money you can make.  Although, you really need many thousands of views a month to bring in decent money.

How much you earn directly from the YouTube partner program, will depend on how many views you get.

So, depending on how many subscribers/views you have, you should roughly earn anywhere from under $1 to $5 every 1000 views.

If you have millions of views a month, you’ll be earning at the top end with the YouTube partner program.

But that’s not the only way you can make money on YouTube.

You can also earn from being sponsored to create certain videos, (for example; where you’ll be reviewing something gaming related in your case).

Or through affiliate marketing, such as linking to a game on Amazon and earning commissions whenever someone buys via your link, (more about that below).