Sure, you’ve heard of Twitch before. Twitch is the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers and the online world. But have you heard of Twitch Prime?
Like most online commercial services, Twitch also comes with its own paid subscription service in the form of Prime. In case it’s your first time hearing about Twitch’s premium service, fret not! We’ll cover everything you need to know in this article.
What is Twitch Prime?
Simply put, Twitch Prime isn’t an exclusive stand-alone service. It’s more of a benefit you get from joining Amazon Prime and Prime Video memberships – which gives you exclusive perks if you link your Amazon account with your Twitch profile.
This premium Twitch experience features additional bonus games, exclusive in-game content, emotes, and chat badge. Additionally, you’ll also get a channel subscription every month (with no additional cost) which you can use on any partner or affiliate channels.
How much does it cost?
Subscribing to Twitch Prime is one of the priorities of many Twitch streamers, not only because it sets their streaming career to a higher level but the benefits and perks of Twitch Prime really makes it worth its price.
You have to know that before subscribing to Twitch Prime, Twitch offers a 30-day free trial for you to decide for yourself if it’s really worth investing in. This deal basically saves you some cash if you only intend to try it out.
When Twitch Prime was introduced in 2013, its membership costs only 8.99 $ a month but there are some changes in its price and subscription in the upcoming years. Currently, Twitch Prime’s price varies from different countries depending on how much Amazon Prime costs in your region.
This just goes on to tell that Twitch Prime doesn’t have a “one for all” price that they apply for everyone. For those living in the United States and countries where full Amazon Prime services are available, Twitch Prime will only cost 2.99$ for the next 6 months after your free trial ends. Then, it will increase to 5.99$ in your next billing after your subscription for the next 6 months.
As your monthly subscription continues, it will eventually reach 12.99$ per month which is basically the ceiling price of Twitch Prime. Fret not though, it won’t go any higher than that.
How to apply
If you haven’t signed up as an Amazon Prime member yet, you may sign up for the premium service either on Twitch or directly on Amazon.
But if you’re already an Amazon Prime member, you only need to link your Amazon and Twitch accounts to unlock the full benefits on Twitch Prime.
Main Benefit
If there’s one benefit of Twitch Prime that deserves to be in the spotlight, it would be the free games you can enjoy. There’s a selection of free PC games given to Prime members every month.
These games are totally free, and the best part is: you get to keep them forever.
Unlock exclusive features
Aside from the free games, enjoy these additional exclusive features thanks to Twitch Prime:
Twitch channel subscription
As a Twitch Prime member, you can receive a Twitch channel subscription per month to use on partner or affiliate channels. Along with this, you are also granted exclusive access to channel-specific subscriber perks such as chat privileges, emoticons, badges, and more.
Member access to game content
You may also enjoy access to exclusive games and in-game loot at no additional cost. Additional offers can be found at twitch.tv/prime.
Loot gifting
You’ll also receive three additional copies of select Twitch Prime loot, which you can opt to gift to your friends in the Twitch community.
Exclusive emoticons
Nothing screams bragging rights more than flooding exclusive emoticons in chat. As a prime member, you can enjoy access to exclusive emoticons like the KappaHD, ScaredyCat, and others. These emoticons are reserved only for Twitch Prime and Turbo members.
Expanded chat color options
Feel free to set a chat color of your choosing by toggling a set of 3 sliders (RGB). These options can be changed by going to your Prime Settings.
Member-only prime chat badge
If you’re drawn to the idea of exclusive games and bragging rights, reign supreme on the platform with a unique chat badge. This can also be toggled on and off via settings.
Twitch Prime members can be easily identified in any channel by the white crown on a sky blue background icon.
Extended broadcast storage
Instead of the standard 14 days, you may save your past broadcasts on Twitch for 60 days as a Prime member.
Twitch Prime is automatically included with Amazon Prime in countries like the US, Mexico, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, United Kingdom and Australia.
The premium service is included with Prime Video in over 200 other countries and territories.
Free Games
Looking for new games to try and stream? Want to take a break from the usual games you play? Don’t worry because Twitch Prime’s monthly line up assures you that there will be tons high-quality games to choose from.
Here are some of Twitch Prime’s free games for February 2020:
American Fugitive
American Fugitive takes you in a 3D open-world-single-player action pack experience.
It is a plot-inclined game that is developed by Fallen Tree Games and published by Curve Digital, originally released on May 21, 2019. The game welcomes you in Redrock County, a town in America where your journey will begin. Take the role of Willy Riley to complete the game objectives and to access more open-world features as you progress.
Desert Child
Desert Child is a combination of role-playing game and hoverbike racing category. This game may not be known for a very high level of graphics and visuals, but it is highly credited because of its pixel-art theme and the vibrant color scheme used in the game. The game is developed by Oscar Brittain and published by Akura Games and Limited Run Games which was then released on December 11, 2018.
Start your game on planet Earth by hunting bounties, delivering pizza, and winning races for you to earn money to buy a ticket to Mars before the Earth explodes. Majority of the game will take place on Mars where you will try to take on your biggest race in the Grand Prix.
White Night
If you love solving puzzles and mysteries while constantly thrilled by a horror-themed setting, then this game is for you! White Night is a game developed by OSome Studio and was published by Activision on March 3, 2015. A classic survival-horror game in a 1930 time period, you need to find your way out in an old abandoned mansion by solving puzzles of light and shadows.
How do you access the free game content?
If you’re a Twitch Prime subscriber, you can access the monthly free game content under the crown icon on the Twitch homepage. Simply follow the links and it will lead you to your free goodies.
But if it’s the free games you are looking for, you will need to access Twitch’s desktop app to get them. You can claim these directly from the website and the free games will be added to your account shortly.
Pokimane on Twitch Prime
So, how does Twitch Prime benefit streamers exactly? Pokimane, Twitch’s number 1 female streamer, has shared her thoughts regarding how the premium service changed her life for the better.
When the service first came out, she claims her sub count doubled in a day. It all happened so fast that the streamer barely had time to process the reality. Twitch Prime’s impact can be profound, if you’re lucky that is. Pokimane explains: “Twitch Prime just made people’s careers, basically. The difference between making $2,000 and $4,000 in a month is massive.”
Twitch Prime subs alone can possibly double a streamer’s monthly income. This is big news, especially to those who want to rely on streaming as a primary career. Part-time streamers who can bring in ample Twitch Prime subs may have the option to quit their day jobs, if the monthly income from full-time streaming is enough for them to make ends meet.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it’s still up to you to decide if the service may benefit you well or if it’s worth your money. Twitch Prime is a great way to support your favorite content creators on the platform. Although it comes with a price, one sub can benefit their earnings which may help them turn into full-time streaming for a career.
And if you’re an aspiring streamer, start early in building your following and offer engaging content that users would gladly pay for. As Pokimane said, Twitch Prime can change a streamer’s career profoundly — if you’re lucky. It may get difficult in your early days as a streamer to get anybody to watch your streams, let alone hit the sub button.
If you’re in it for the free games, other exclusive features, and bragging rights — better sign up for that Twitch Prime free trial now!
