How to Start Streaming Games on Nexus Arena

A beginner-friendly guide to creating your account, setting up your channel, configuring OBS, and going live for the first time. No experience required.

Step 1 — Create your Nexus Arena account

Go to nexusarena.tv/register and sign up with your email address or Google account. Choose a unique username — this becomes your channel URL and your identity on the platform. After registration, you will complete a short onboarding flow that sets up your channel.

Step 2 — Set up your channel

During onboarding, you will choose whether you are joining as a viewer or a streamer. Select streamer, then fill in your channel name, display name, and bio. After onboarding, your creator dashboard is available at /dashboard, where you can customize your banner, panels, schedule, social links, and channel appearance.

Step 3 — Get your stream key

In your creator dashboard, navigate to Stream Key. You will find your RTMP ingest URL and a unique stream key. Keep your stream key private — anyone with it can broadcast to your channel. You will also find an OBS setup guide and connection health monitor on this page.

Step 4 — Configure OBS Studio

Download and install OBS Studio (free). Open Settings, go to the Stream tab, and set Service to Custom. Paste your Nexus Arena ingest URL into the Server field and your stream key into the Stream Key field. Configure your video resolution, framerate, and audio sources (microphone, desktop audio, game capture). Test your setup by clicking Start Recording first to verify everything looks and sounds right.
  • Recommended resolution: 1920x1080 or 1280x720
  • Recommended framerate: 30 or 60 FPS
  • Encoder: x264 or hardware encoder (NVENC, AMF, QSV)
  • Audio: 48kHz sample rate, stereo

Step 5 — Go live

Before going live, set your stream title, category, and tags in the Stream Info section of your dashboard. Then click Start Streaming in OBS. Your channel will appear as live on Nexus Arena within seconds. Viewers can find you in the browse directory, on the homepage, and through search.

Tips for your first stream

Test before you go live

Do a test recording in OBS to check audio levels, video quality, and scene transitions before your first broadcast.

Fill out your channel

Add panels, a banner, social links, and a schedule so viewers who find you have something to explore.

Engage with chat

Acknowledge new viewers, answer questions, and build rapport. Chat engagement keeps viewers coming back.

Stream consistently

A regular schedule helps viewers know when to tune in. Use the schedule feature in your dashboard.

Use tags wisely

Tag your stream with the correct game category and content type so the right viewers find you.

Review your analytics

After each stream, check your analytics dashboard for viewer counts, peak viewers, and session history.

Frequently asked questions

Is OBS Studio free?
Yes. OBS Studio is free, open-source software available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Do I need a powerful computer to stream?
A modern multi-core CPU and stable internet upload speed of at least 5 Mbps are recommended. Hardware encoders like NVENC reduce CPU load significantly.
Can I stream from a console?
Console streaming typically requires a capture card connected to a PC running OBS. Some consoles also support direct streaming, but OBS gives you more control.
How do I get viewers?
Consistency, engagement, and channel completeness matter most. Fill out your profile, stream regularly, interact with chat, and share your channel on social media and in gaming communities.

Ready to enter the Arena?

Join Nexus Arena today. Create your channel, connect OBS, and start streaming to a community that actually sees you.