9 ways to earn money by playing video games (2023)

Gaming is the act of playing video games on a computer, smartphone, or gaming console. Gaming can be a fun and enjoyable way to spend time. The gaming industry has grown significantly in recent years. Several people like to play games for hours and a few are also making good money just by playing video games. Earning depends on the person to person, but some gamers are actually making millions a year. PewDiePie and DanTDM are two notable YouTubers who have earned millions just playing video games live on YouTube. N0tail, Bugha, C6, dupreeh, Faker are a few gamers who are known for winning millions in esports tournaments. So, a lot of people now aim to make a career in gaming. There are several ways to make a career in gaming. You can play Esports to win tournament prizes and stream your games to earn from sponsors, viewers, and ads. Other notable career options are Game journalism, Game testing, and Game development.

Gaming can be a rewarding career for those who are passionate about it. If you are good at playing video games, you can make a good career in gaming. There are several ways to make a career in the gaming industry, but what if you just want to play games and earn? There are several ways you can make good money just by playing video games. In this article, I will write about different ways one can earn a good full income by playing video games. Although it seems easy, gaming requires a significant amount of effort, dedication, and the right skills to turn it into a sustainable profession.

Also read: Is esports a good career option?

There are several ways to earn money while playing video games. In this article, I will explain different ways to earn money by playing video games.

1. Streaming

Streaming is a way for gamers to share their gameplay and commentary with a live audience through platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming. It has become a popular way for gamers to earn money by playing video games. Many streaming platforms, such as Twitch, allow viewers to subscribe to a streamer’s channel for a monthly fee. Streamers can earn money from these subscriptions. YouTube lets viewers tip their streamers and also provides them an option to earn via the YouTube partner program. The amount of money that a streamer can earn through streaming can vary greatly depending on the number of viewers they have, their engagement with the audience, and their ability to monetize their channel.

If you play well enough to attract viewers, you can easily start earning via streaming. On average, a small streamer earns around $1000-$1200 per month. This amount grows with your viewership.

Also read: Best Video Game Live Streaming Platforms

2. Esports

Competitive gaming tournaments often offer large prize pools for the winning teams or individuals. These prize pools can range from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars, depending on the tournament and the game being played. It’s worth noting that the amount of money that an esports player can earn can vary greatly depending on their skill level, the popularity of the game they play, and the tournaments and leagues they participate in. You need to have a high level of skill and dedication for being good.

If you join an esports company, you can also get a good salary with your contact. This is becoming more common in major esports leagues, where players are considered full-time employees of the team.

Professional esports players and teams often have sponsorships with companies that provide them with financial support and equipment.

3. Game walk-throughs and tutorials

Creating and uploading game walk-throughs and tutorials on platforms like YouTube or Twitch can be a good way to earn money. Several people like to watch gaming videos to learn more about the game and understand the game before they purchase. Gaming tutorials also help other people understand the game and make them better. I remember watching CS: Go videos to learn different smoke throws and gaming strategies. If you are good at a game, you can make different tutorials and guides. As your channel grows, you can earn money through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing.

4. Virtual item trading

Some video games allow players to buy and sell virtual items, such as weapons, armor, and in-game currency. By accumulating and selling these items, players can earn real money.

Gamers can earn money by buying in-game items at a low price and then selling them for a higher price. This can be done through in-game trading or through third-party websites that specialize in virtual item trading. Sometimes you also acquire rate in-game items that can be sold for a good profit.

Some games and platforms like Steam have third-party marketplaces where players can buy and sell virtual items. These marketplaces can be great places for gamers to buy and sell items, and they often take a small fee for each transaction.

5. Sponsorships

If you have a good viewership and followers on social media, brands will also offer you sponsored deals for promoting their products or services. Gamers who stream their gameplay on platforms like Twitch and YouTube can promote specific products in their videos. If you have a strong following on social media, you can earn money by promoting products or services through their posts. This can include sponsored posts, product reviews, or affiliate marketing.

The amount you can earn via brand deals depend on your follower base and viewership. If you have a reputation and a positive image, it helps in attracting brand deals.

6. Game testing

Gamers can earn as freelance game testers by finding opportunities to test video games for companies or independent game developers. They can do this by searching online for job postings, reaching out to game development studios directly, or joining freelance job platforms that connect testers with game developers. Additionally, they can also build a portfolio of their testing work and share it online to showcase their skills and experience to potential clients. As they have good gaming skills, they can provide better feedback to game developers. So developers can improve their games and fix bugs before reading the game to the general public.

7. Work as a Video Game Journalist

Gamers can earn as video game journalists by writing articles, reviews, and analysis about video games for various publications such as websites, magazines, newspapers, and blogs. They can also create video content, such as game playthroughs, reviews, and analysis, and post it on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.

To get started, they can create a portfolio of their writing and video content, and then reach out to publications and websites that cover video games to inquire about freelance opportunities. They can also join online communities of video game journalists to network with other professionals and learn about job opportunities. Additionally, they can also create their own blog or website to establish themselves as an authority on video games and attract readers and potential clients.

Several organizations, that report esports, and games, hire people who can write for different video games. PC Invasion, IGN, PC Gamer, and several other gaming news publications regularly hire people to write gaming news, walkthrough, guides, and tutorials.

Also read: AreGaming ChairsWorth buying?

8. Affiliate marketing

Gamers can earn money through affiliate marketing by promoting video games, gaming equipment, and other related products on their website or social media channels. You can do this by joining an affiliate program, which allows you to earn a commission on any sales.

To get started, you can find affiliate programs that are related to video games and gaming equipment like gaming mouse, headphones, gaming chairs, monitor, GPUs, and prebuilt gaming PCs. Many gaming companies, retailers, and online marketplaces have affiliate programs that they can join. For example, I use the Amazon Associate program to promote different products listed on Amazon.

Once you have joined an affiliate program, you can start promoting the products by creating content such as reviews, tutorials, and recommendations on their website, social media channels, and YouTube channels. It’s important to note that in order to be successful with affiliate marketing, you need to have an audience that trusts your opinions and is interested in what you are promoting. Building a loyal audience takes time and effort but it can be a great way to monetize your passion for video games.

9. Video Game Coaching

Gamers can become video game coaches by sharing their knowledge and expertise in a particular game or genre with others who are looking to improve their skills. They can do this by offering one-on-one coaching sessions, creating video tutorials, writing guides, or leading group coaching sessions. Several esports companies also hire video game coaches for their players and play a huge sum to video game coaches. If you are good enough, you can also offer your coaching services on freelance job platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr.