Do streamers need a facecam (to be successful on Twitch)?

Last Updated on 11/14/2022 by Dean

Is having a face cam for streaming on Twitch or another platform necessary? This is something that has been debated for years.

Do you need a webcam to stream on Twitch?

No, you don’t need a webcam to stream on Twitch. Plenty of Twitch streamers are faceless streamers who prefer the privacy of streaming without a webcam. However, having a facecam is recommended if you want to grow on Twitch.

Can you become successful on Twitch without a face cam?

Some streamers have found success on Twitch without using a facecam. Examples are streamers like Dream and 5up who managed to grow big on Twitch without a face cam. So yes, you definitely can become successful on Twitch without ever showing your face. However, I would consider these streamers to be exceptions. Growing on Twitch without a facecam is infinitely harder than doing it with a face cam.

Reasons to have a facecam on Twitch

Here is a list of reasons why streamers should use a facecam on Twitch.

• New viewers are more likely to stay
• Viewers can see your reactions
• You will be more likely to talk
• Most streamers have a face cam
• You can get away with not talking

New viewers are more likely to stay

Having no webcam can deter new viewers. Especially if you don’t have many viewers to begin with. A faceless streamer with 10,000 viewers watching them isn’t going to deter anyone, even knew viewers will give them a chance because their viewership proves the stream is good.

However, a small faceless streamer with less than 20 viewers isn’t going to have that same effect. In the eyes of a new viewer, a faceless streamer can easily look cheap or unprofessional. Why can’t they afford a webcam? Are they too lazy to set one up? Every streamer has a webcam, what’s the deal? Many viewers are turned off by the idea of a faceless streamer so having a facecam will help a lot.

Viewers can see your reactions

One of the most important reasons to have a facecam is that it allows viewers to see your reactions while you are playing video games on stream. This creates a connection between the viewer and the streamer.

You are more likely to take streaming seriously

Streamers with a facecam are more likely to take their stream seriously than those without one. This is because the webcam adds an extra layer of commitment. Anyone can stream gameplay but those who do it with a facecam will be pressured to talk, to engage with viewers, share stories and react to gameplay.

Most streamers have a facecam

The majority of streamers on Twitch (and we’re not talking about streamers with 0 viewers) have a facecam. This is a fact. In every category on Twitch, viewers can watch streamers with a facecam. This makes it incredibly hard for a streamer without one to retain a viewership.

As viewers are used to seeing streamers reactions, it will take a lot to convince them to stay in your stream when you don’t have a facecam. There’s simply too many alternatives.

You can get away with not talking

Talking to your stream and keeping your viewers engaged is one of the most important things to be doing as a Twitch streamer. Viewers simply don’t watch streamers who don’t talk. But when you have a facecam on your stream, you can get away with the occasional dead moment. At least the viewers will still see what you are up to. They will still feel somewhat connected to you.

This is something a faceless streamer cannot get away with. When they aren’t talking, the stream looks super dead and viewers will leave.

Alternative to a facecam on Twitch

Now if you really don’t want to show your face on Twitch, there is an alternative that is a lot more appealing to viewers than not showing your face at all. This alternative is called Vtubing.

Vtubers stands for Virtual Youtubers. These are streamers who instead of using their own face, used a 3D animated character to represent themselves on Twitch. These characters mimic the movements of the streamer without the streamer having to reveal themselves.

Becoming a vtuber requires a little bit of a set up though. First, you’ll need to have a 3D character model. While this can be expensive (if you hire a professional) it is possible to do it yourself for free using software like Vroid.

🤓 Want to learn how YOU can become a vtuber? Our step-by-step guide teaches you how you can become a vtuber for FREE.

🤔 Why don’t you want to show your face on Twitch?

An important question to ask yourself when becoming a Twitch streamer is whether or not you want to show your face on stream.

Some streamers don’t want to reveal their face for anxiety reasons (an example is Corpse Husband). After all, it is a lot easier to be comfortable on stream when your viewers aren’t actually able to see you.

Other streamers don’t want to reveal their face for privacy reasons. They are afraid someone might recognize them or they don’t like the idea of being a public person. An example of a faceless streamer who doesn’t want a public life is Dream.

And third, some streamers don’t want to have a facecam because they can’t afford a webcam.

If you belong in the final category, we have good news for you. You don’t need to own a webcam to have a facecam on Twitch!

You can simply use your phone as your facecam.

Plenty of apps such as EpocCam for iOs and Droidcam for Android allow budget Twitch streamers to turn their phones into webcams.

List of faceless streamers on Twitch

If you do plan on becoming a faceless streamer yourself, here’s a list of faceless streamers you can draw inspiration from.

• 5up
• Dream
• Anomaly
• Lirik
• Eggwick

List of Vtubers on Twitch

If you plan to become a vtuber instead, here’s a list of popular vtubers you can draw inspiration from.

• IronMouse
• Nyanners
• Veibae
• Silvervale
• CodeMiko

👉 More VTubers to watch on Twitch

Conclusion

You definitely don’t need a facecam to make it big on Twitch but showing your face does help a lot. Viewers want to see who they are watching. If you don’t have a facecam you will have to work harder and have a well-developed streamer persona to make up for it. Our recommendation: use your phone as a webcam if you are broke or become a vtuber if you don’t want to reveal your face.

Continue reading: How to get viewers with no webcam on Twitch