Amazon Prime Gaming is the new name for Twitch Prime, the new program offers the same benefits first introduced with Twitch Prime back in 2016. Amazon Prime Gaming which is included with an Amazon Prime membership offers free in-game loot every month for a variety of titles including League of Legends, Apex Legends, Grand Theft Auto Online, FIFA20, and DOOM Eternal. Prime Gaming also comes with a collection of free indie games that can be downloaded through the desktop app. Amazon Prime subscribers will continue to receive Prime Status on Twitch which includes a free channel subscription, and virtual chat items. Amazon Prime gaming is now available in over 200 countries.

After Sony has showcased Unreal Engine 5 capabilities on the new PlayStation 5 console, there was a counterpart event missing from Microsoft. However, Microsoft has announced today that the company will host a live stream event on July 23rd. That is the date when Microsoft will host the event on YouTube and Twitch. Starting at 9 am PT time, the company will showcase the capabilities of the new Xbox Series X console. Possibly, Microsoft will show ray tracing and all the latest technology advancements with AMD's RDNA2 graphics card found inside the new console. What we can expect in terms of games is Halo Infinite and maybe new Forza and Gears of War games. Either way, we have to wait and find out on July 23rd.

Tencent is getting ready to roll out their new live streaming platform across the US as a direct competitor to Amazon's Twitch. The Tencent live streaming platform has been in testing since March, initially called Madcat, and now branded as Trovo Live. Trovo Live's interface closely resembles that of Twitch and has a large emphasis on mobile gaming which makes sense given that Tencent owns Fortnite and PUBG Mobile.

Tencent has recently plans on the Trovo Live website on its 30 million dollar program to entice creators to the site. Tencent dominates the Chinese game streaming market but has had trouble breaking into Western markets. The Trevo Live Partnership program is set to go live in July and aims to attract 500 influential streamers to the platform. Trovo Live has already attracted some streamers from Mizer and Twitch so it will be interesting to see if it succeeds.

XPG, a provider of high-performance products for gamers, e-sports pros, and tech enthusiasts, is pleased to announce that it has become the Official Gaming Notebook sponsor of the official Valve RMR CS:GO Online tournament series CS_SUMMIT 6.Organized by Beyond the Summit (BTS), the tournament will take place from June 22 to July 5. As a part of the sponsorship, the XPG XENIA will be the Official Gaming Notebook of the tournament.

CS_SUMMIT 6 will be broadcast internationally and is organized regionally with qualifying games in Europe and North America. XPG will be the major sponsor of the event in the Gaming Notebook category.This is the second time XPG has participated in a BTS-organized tournament as a sponsor. During CS_SUMMIT 5, XPG was the Official Keyboard sponsor.

In light of the cancellation of E3 2020 a new digital game showcase has been announced. The New Game+ Expo will feature new and upcoming releases from a coalition of developers from around the world and be streamed exclusively on Twitch June 23rd. The 16 companies from across Japan and America involved are: Acttil, Aksys Games, Arc System Works America, GungHo Online Entertainment America, Grasshopper Manufacture, Idea Factory International, Inti Creates, Koei, Tecmo America, Natsume Inc, NIS America Inc, Playism, Sega of America, Atlus West, SNK Corporation, Spike Chunsoft Inc, and WayForward

As E3 2020 has been canceled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, game developers and publishers have been scheduling their events to announce new games and more. Ubisoft will feature "exclusive game news, reveals and more" at their upcoming all-digital event "Ubisoft Forward". The event will live-streamed on YouTube and Twitch at 8 PM BST July 12th. Some games we are expecting to see showcased at the event include; Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six: Quarantine, and more.

People Can Fly and Square Enix today released a gameplay trailer for their upcoming, next-gen game Outriders. The game, which will be available in current-gen systems as well as Xbox Series X, PS5 and PC, is a 1-3 player, drop-in drop-out co-op RPG shooter which promises to be set in a futuristic, dark sci-fi universe. The premise is as such: humanity as we know it abandoned Earth in search of a new home, which they thought they had found in the form of Enoch. A worldwide, storm-like event dubbed The Anomaly (which may have been produced by more than weather phenomena, I wager) forced humanity back into cryo-suspension whilst they waited for the proverbial storm to pass. The eventually reawakened ones find burning powers within themselves that will force them to confront their humanity, evolve - and eventually, to become something different.

People Can Fly describe the game as "Players will create their own Outrider and embark on a journey across a hostile planet. With rich storytelling spanning a diverse world, they will leave behind the slums and shanty towns of the First City and traverse forests, mountains and deserts in pursuit of a mysterious signal." You can expect an arsenal of weapons and supernatural powers, though the exact nature of the game's world and systems (open-world, quasi-open world, or some such) still haven't been clarified. Expect the game to drop come holiday 2020, right alongside the next-generation console launch. A reveal stream will be available via Twitch in about two days - there's a countdown timer in the official Outriders page.

Elgato, the leading provider of hardware and software for content creators, today announced the launch of HD60 S+, an external video capture card that lets content creators play high-fidelity console games in stunning 4K60 HDR10 while simultaneously streaming or recording gameplay in 1080p60 HDR10. It's easy to get set up and streaming with HD60 S+ thanks to a simple USB 3.0 connection and full compatibility with today's most prominent streaming applications including OBS Studio, Streamlabs OBS, and XSplit. Accompanied by powerful Elgato 4KCU recording software, HD60 S+ is ideal for content creators looking to grow audiences on Twitch, YouTube, and Mixer.

Building upon the original hugely popular HD60 S, HD60 S+ allows 4K60 HDR10 zero-lag passthrough, with onboard video downscaling to enable streaming to any platform in industry standard full HD 1080p60 quality and recording unlimited 1080p60 HDR10 footage to your hard drive. HD60 S+ also benefits from ultra-low latency Instant Gameview technology, keeping gameplay, mic, webcam, and other sources perfectly synched.

Blue, a 20-year leading innovator in audio technology and design, today announced the new Yeti X USB microphone for gaming, streaming and podcasting. Yeti X features new Blue VO!CE technology, which enables content creators to dial up professional vocal effects and custom presets at the push of a button. A four capsule condenser microphone array delivers exceptional focus and clarity, high-res LED metering provides visual, real-time feedback for vocal levels, and a multi-function smart knob provides instant control over essential mic functions. Combining legendary Blue audio quality with innovative new features, Yeti X is the ultimate tool for creators who want to deliver professional content and build their audience.

Elgato, the leading provider of hardware and software for content creators, today announced the launch of Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2. Boasting the most advanced features in its class, 4K60 Pro MK.2 sports 4K60 HDR10 capture, ultra-low latency Instant Gameview technology, up to 240Hz passthrough, and more. Fitting easily into small form factor cases, this compact PCIe capture card is less than half the size of its predecessor, and with an MSRP of just $249.99, makes 4K content creation more accessible than ever.

Building upon the original acclaimed 4K60 Pro, 4K60 Pro MK.2 empowers content creators to capture gameplay in the highest resolution and dynamic range possible. 4K HDR10 capture at 60 fps (frames per second) lets you play high-fidelity games while simultaneously streaming to Twitch in 1080p at 60 fps and recording 4K60 HDR10 footage to your hard drive. Instant Gameview technology lets you monitor your capture feed with ultra-low latency, perfectly syncing your broadcast with your gameplay. Support for an impressive array of resolution and refresh rate combinations, such as 1080p 240Hz and 1440p 144Hz, enables high frame rate gameplay while capturing via a dual-PC setup.

Apex Legends was somewhat of a sleeper hit, and it was so in many ways. A ninja introduction by EA of the Respawn Entertainment-developed game back in January saw significant interest from the gaming community, who recognized in Respawn the ability to make a great FPS. Taking advantage of the Battle Royale popularity was also a solid move, as was EA's decision to focus marketing efforts not on a long, drawn-out publicity campaign, but instead, on paying renowned Twitch streamers to play and stream their game.

Since gaming (at least when it comes to multiplayer gaming) nowadays has somewhat of a "monkey see, monkey do" dynamic for the general gaming population, this move prompted Apex Legends to the top of the streaming food chain, with a grand total of 40 million hours streamed on its first week alone. Also during its first week, the game achieved a staggering 25 million unique players, doubling that number to 50 million in the first month. However, the cash flow must die out, and as EA stopped paying streamers, so did they move on to other, more proficuous games, such as Fortnite, which has endured the Apex Legends assault in terms of viewers and players. It remains to be seen if EA will double down on the streamer investment it did on the games' launch, or if Respawn Entertainment can churn out meaningful updates and characters that can turn the tide.

I'm pretty sure many of our readers devote part of their time not only to enjoy video games, but also to broadcast their games via YouTube, Twitch, Mixer or some other alternative. Live Streaming has become a phenomenon for users, but also for hardware & software developers. Suddenly a new, juicy cake appears on the market, and everyone wants a piece.

That's precisely what Streamlabs, developer of Streamlabs OBS is announcing. This free broadcasting app offers more options and a faster and easier startup for beginners than the original solution, OBS (Open Broadcast Software). The company has teamed up with Intel to develop PCs specially dedicated to live streaming. They won't be alone, as they've also partnered with Shuttle, SimplyNUC, ZOTAC and Acer. All of them will join forces to offer hardware solutions with Streamlabs OBS (which by the way, is still in beta stage) and various optimizations for this field already pre-installed.

Elgato, a leading provider of hardware and software for content creators, today announced Stream Deck Mini, a brand-new addition to its line-up of streaming and video production tools. A miniaturized version of the ground-breaking Elgato Stream Deck live content tool, Stream Deck Mini offers six fully-customizable LCD keys, allowing creators to easily switch scenes, launch media, control chat, configure an unlimited number of actions, and more. The ideal addition for streamers and video producers who want to get serious about their content and community, Stream Deck Mini makes it simple to create quality content at the push of a button.

"When Stream Deck launched just over a year ago, it gave content creators access to a level of tactile control that was traditionally exclusive to mainstream entertainment broadcasters" said Julian Fest, VP & General Manager of Elgato. "Stream Deck Mini is every inch a Stream Deck. It keeps all the same functionality, in a smaller form factor, and at a more attainable price."

Twitch joins in the celebration of Amazon Prime Day with the largest giveaway in the subscription service's history. Twitch Prime members can redeem a new game everyday during the duration of the giveaway, which lasts from July 2 to July 17. You can redeem the games at this link. Once the games have been added to your account, they are yours to keep. The list of games includes Pillars of Eternity, Metal Slug 3, The Last Blade, and many more.