It’s quite a scary time for all concerned during this coronavirus outbreak and video game streaming is providing a huge source of comfort for many. While some can cautiously get out and about, some of us must remain indoors, whether due to taking precautions or for those at high risk of catching germs.
During this time of isolation, it’s vastly important to keep your mind and body as busy as possible, perhaps by starting up that hobby you’ve always wanted to try? For us gamers, it’s a great time to get through our pile of shame, clear those campaigns, rank-up in our favourite online games or finally earn those elusive Trophies and Achievements.



Perhaps you’ve always wanted to stream your favourite video games, but never quite had the confidence to do so? Well, if you’ve been thinking about streaming, now is the perfect time and it seems that’s what a lot of gamers have been doing, according to recent statistics recording during the coronavirus outbreak [via Hollywood Reporter].



According to figures in the U.S, not only has video game usage been boosted up by 75% during the quarantine, but video game streaming has also gone up by 12% as revealed by data collected by Verizon.
Kyle Malady, Chief Technology Officer at Verizon said: “As we see more and more individuals work from home and students engage in online learning, it is a natural by-product that we would see an increase in web traffic and access to VPN. And as more entertainment options are cancelled in communities across the U.S., an increase in video traffic and online gaming is not surprising,”



To add, thanks to a report from StreamElement and Arsenal.gg, live-streaming viewing is also on the up as revealed by StreamElements CEO Doron Nir.
They explained: “Comparing the most recent weekend and Monday to the same timeframe the previous week, Twitch viewership increased 10 percent and YouTube Gaming went up by 15 percent, both of which reflect the popularity of the live-streaming medium now that people are consuming higher volumes of entertainment from home,”



While it’s easy to get caught up in this hysteria, I do believe things will get better soon, as long as we remember to be kind, considerate and work together.
At least during this time of stress, many of us are keeping ourselves busy and having some fun while we’re at it. What have you been up to during self-isolation and quarantine, have you taken up any new hobbies?
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay