Live Streaming Queries

So I've been getting into live streaming on twitch lately. I use OBS for PC streaming and the build in software to stream PS4. After some initial bumps in the road of my streams constantly dropping connection, I think I've got all the bugs worked out. I reciently bought an elgato capture HD from amazon but have yet to open it. My question is will it be worth it? For the price I could have gotten a webcam and a decent mic. Should I use the elgato or is the build in PS4 streaming software good enough for a new streamer?

Why would you buy the elgato if you had reservations about actually using it in the first place?

I didn't have the reservations until after I got it and started thinking about other stuff I could have bought instead.

yes it's worth the investment, as are a good webcam and a Mic. though the Mic quality may be slightly more important than the webcam quality, clear audio can overcome a low res video, as long as the video is still smooth.

People want engagement on Twitch. interaction is important. as are branding of your channel. while the built in systems on the consoles are fine to get started and get a feel for things, having a stream set up from a PC using a capture device, a good webcam, and a good Mic is a much more engaging setup, having it set up to show a popup when someone follows the channel during the stream goes a VERY long way in encouraging others to follow, and become a part of your community, having the currently playing song scrolling, it seems trivial, but if you have to stop what your doing to answer that question from chat, it takes away from the experience not only for you, but those watching.

the small things some people complain about, overlays, facecams, it all makes a difference to building out a brand and consistent user experience, sure I watch a couple streams that don't have a facecam setup, but not often, mostly because I don't feel as engaged with the caster.

And I'll head this off before it comes up, I don't have many followers, and I really am not out to make it rich on Twitch either, it's fun for me. If I can make a living out of it later on, all the better, but the things I mentioned go toward making it a better experience for the viewers I do have, and in that, for me as well.

If you're having fun doing it, take your time, you have the capture device, save up and pick up a decent webcam, get a good mic, fiddle around with a simple overlay (you can commision someone to create one if you don't have the photoshop skills later if you wish, or search google for premade ones to use) PC not up to streaming at 1080p, drop your broadcast rez down to say 540p, it'll be smoother (if lower quality).

*this is all my proverbial 2 cents* and your Milage (interest in casting) may vary wildly, but there you have it.

Facecams are kinda irrelevant unless your reaction to something is part of the experience. Your voice should be enough to carry it.

You'll want all of the above eventually anyway, so the order you get it doesn't really matter much. Definitely get a quality mic soon if you don't have one already, and a webcam after that especially if you're particularly charismatic in your appearance or nonverbals. When I'm browsing twitch to watch a stream from someone I don't already know, mic quality is always something that helps me judge whether I want to watch or not. Same with video quality and cam quality.

This is assuming your goal is to build up a crowd of followers. If you're doing this for fun on your own then do whatever you want.