Is gameplay a good niche?
Gameplay looks promising, with room to grow. RPM is on the low side, around $0.8–$2 per 1,000 views, so you need a lot of views to earn well. In the last 90 days 2 new channels appeared and 1 of them broke out (beat the niche’s usual views 3×). 40% of channels are faceless, so both faceless and on-camera formats work.
Pros
- 1 new channel broke out in the last 90 days
- Videos get a median of 67,589 views
Cons
- Low RPM: $0.8–$2 per 1,000 views
- Crowded: 250 channels already compete here
Examples worth studying
The channels beating their niche average by the most, and the biggest breakout videos of the last 90 days. The full list is in the app.
Channels beating the average
Phantom Blade Zero665K subscribersFaceless(opens YouTube in a new tab)44×$2.6K – $6.4KByNiche estimate, monthly
Floydson1M subscribersFaceless(opens YouTube in a new tab)31×$2.1K – $5.3KByNiche estimate, monthly
Sethy Poker289K subscribersShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)21×$348 – $871ByNiche estimate, monthly
Breakout videos, last 90 days
- Impossible de ne pas rire ! #dog #funny #animals #happy #chienMr.L'original, 7.4M views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
462,032× - How NOT to Jailbreak your PS5 #Sony #playstation #ps5GripItByTheHusk, 4.4M views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
5,181× - Dream Cheated Every World RecordMrMangoHands, 1.1M views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
2,082×
How to start a gameplay channel
40% of channels in this niche are faceless. Both routes are open: faceless videos with a voiceover, or a host talking to camera.
The most common formats among the channels we track: gameplay (58%), person talking to camera (26%), vlog (5%).
Study the example channels below: which titles and thumbnails multiply their average, and how long are the videos?
Pick a narrower angle inside gameplay: focus on one audience or one question instead of the generic videos everyone makes.
Aim for the median first: here that’s 67,589 views per video. Ship your first 10 videos in one format, then adjust from the data.
Do the math honestly: 100,000 monthly views in this niche earn roughly $80 – $200. You need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to monetize.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube RPM for gameplay?
Long videos in gameplay earn an estimated $0.8–$2 per 1,000 views (Gaming category). Shorts pay much less: about $0.04–$0.1 per 1,000 views. RPM also shifts with your viewers’ countries and the ad season.
Can you run a faceless gameplay channel?
40% of the 250 channels we track here are faceless. The most common formats: gameplay (58%), person talking to camera (26%), vlog (5%).
How competitive is the gameplay niche?
We track 250 channels. In the last 90 days 2 new channels appeared and 1 beat the niche’s usual views 3×. New channels can still break in.
How much does a gameplay channel make?
The median channel earns an estimated $758 – $1.9K a month and gets a median of 67,589 views per video. The estimate comes from the last 30 days of views and the niche’s RPM range; the biggest channels earn far more.