Twitch streamer FemSteph has made a name for herself in the streaming community since she first began in 2015. Since then, FemSteph has amassed more than 200,000 Twitch followers and established considerable followings on both YouTube and Twitter. We sat down with A-T’s newest sponsored Twitch streamer (FemSteph uses an AT2035 mic and ATH-M70x and ATH-M50xWH headphones) to discuss how she got started with streaming, her favorite video games, and advice she would give to aspiring streamers. Read the full interview with FemSteph below.

Interview with Twitch Streamer FemSteph

Can you describe your live streaming setup in detail?  I am currently using a two-PC setup to stream! The benefit of having a two-PC setup is that it takes the bandwidth load off of the gaming PC, so you can have the optimal performance from that system. The gameplay is then captured by the streaming PC and broadcasted to the streaming platform. The specs for both PCs are listed below: STREAM PC Case: NZXT S340 Elite - White CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Cooling: NZXT Kraken X62 GPU: MSI GTX 1050Ti 4GB Motherboard: Asus Prime Z270-A RAM: G.SKILL TridentZ Series RGB 3200Mhz 16GB SSD: Samsung 960 EVO 500GB M.2 HDD: Western Digital Black 4TB PSU: EVGA SuperNova NEX 650W GAMING PC Case: NZXT S340 Elite - White CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Cooling: NZXT Kraken X62 GPU: NVIDA GeForce GTX 1080Ti 11GB Founders Edition Motherboard: Asus Prime Z270-A RAM: G.SKILL TridentZ Series RGB 3200Mhz 16GB SSD: CRUCIAL MX300 525GB HDD: Seagate 4TB PSU: EVGA SuperNova G2 850W What made you begin live streaming? Before I became a streamer, I worked in digital marketing on the video game publisher side. When Twitch first started becoming popular, I watched livestreams to try and understand the platform better and started streaming as a hobby. I soon fell in love with content creation and decided to take the leap and become a full-time streamer in 2015. For those who may not know, can you explain the meaning behind the name “FemSteph”? The first AAA title I had the pleasure of working on was Mass Effect 3, and I was a huge fan of FemShep (the female version of the playable character, Commander Shepard). My co-workers helped me come up with the name FemSteph to use on social media at the time, and it just kind of stuck!  You play a variety of different games from Fortnite BR to Destiny 2. Can you list your top 10 favorite games? Top 10 favorite games? Oh, this is tough. I have a really hard time with “favoriting” entertainment properties, but I would have to say that these were my most influential games over the years: Kirby’s Dream Land (Gameboy) – This is the first game I ever owned

1. Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64) – This is the first game I played with friends
2. The Legend of Spyro (PlayStation) – This is the first game I ever bought with my own money
3. Call of Duty 2 (Xbox 360) – This was the first game that got me into competitive online gaming
4. Gears of War (Xbox 360) – This was the second game that got me into competitive online gaming
5. The Last of Us (PlayStation 3) – This is one of my favorite SP experiences ever
6. League of Legends (PC) – This is the game that got me into streaming
7. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PlayStation 4) – This is also one of my favorite SP experiences ever
8. Mass Effect franchise – This is the first video game franchise I worked on
9. Fortnite (PC) – This is the game I am currently obsessed with

What is your favorite video game of the moment? Fortnite :) How do you decide what game to take on next?  I try to play every big hit game that comes out, and when I’m in the mood, I also love to play a lot of story-based indie games. I’ve always tried to stick to being a variety streamer, mainly because I really do love playing almost every genre of video games. I can’t think of a genre I haven’t played on my channel, actually. What is the best part about being a live streamer? As cliché as it sounds, it really is all about the community you create. The people who come watch you every day become more than viewers. They know about your interests, pay attention to your relationships, give advice when needed and support you. That is one of the most wonderful things I never really expected to get out of streaming. Are there things you do to prepare for live streaming that people may not expect? Honestly, no. The perks of not having a regular 9-5 job with a boss is that I can literally roll out of bed and play video games if I wanted to. And sometimes I do! Can you describe what a typical day of a live streamer looks like? I imagine that it’s different for everyone. But for the most part, we wake up and live our lives normally, and then boot up the stream when it’s time to work. Some streamers are very active with their communities even when the stream is offline. I often watch Netflix shows or movies with my community with a Chrome extension that syncs all our players together! What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started streaming? How tough this job can be on a person’s mental health. There can be a lot of toxicity on the internet, and the fluctuation of viewership and subscriber counts are also very taxing. You never really know what’s going to happen in the future, so the lack of job stability is sometimes pretty frightening. What advice do you have for anyone who wants to get into live streaming? The truth (and beauty of it) is that anyone can become a streamer! However, to become a full-time streamer the road is very long, difficult and time-consuming. If you want to become a streamer, you have to make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Be passionate! It is not an easy job, and there are a million and one reasons that you should quit or stop. So to be successful, you have to really be prepared to work through it all and keep trying – even when you fail. What did you think of FemSteph’s gaming setup and streaming tips? Comment below!