A Handful of Video Game YouTube Channels to Checkout

Since “cutting the cord” somewhere around 8 years ago, I have found that I watch more and more YouTube. I started to figure out after a while that the more you follow and like channels and the better your suggestions became and the more enjoyable your YouTube experience becomes. It seems like common sense, but I was one of those folks who say YouTube as a place to do random searches instead of a place where I could have somewhat curated content show up. After officially deeming myself a video game collector, I began to have questions like:

How do I find good deals on games?
How big of a collection do most collectors have?
What are some desirable games, hardware, accessories, etc?
What is the best way to connect old consoles to modern televisions?
When does <insert game, console, or accessory> come out?

…and many others.

I turned to YouTube for a lot of those answers at first and learned a lot. I also found that I particularly enjoyed videos from certain creators and I subscribed to their channels. As my feed filled with video game related content, I found more and more YouTubers I liked. My list of video game YouTubers grew enough I thought it might be a good idea to share that list with other collectors who might be interested.

I have decided on a small set of criteria to cover for each YouTuber to have a consistently formatted, brief summary of each channel. The points I will hit are:

How often do they post videos? This is self explanitory.
What is the main kind of content they publish? News, top ten lists, reviews, tutorials, etc.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? Hidden gems, getting the best picture from a retro console, how to find good deals, etc.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? Again, self explanitory.

MetalJesusRocks

Link to the channel: MetalJesusRocks
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 676,956
How often does he videos? 1 to 4 times a week
What is the main kind of content he publishes? MJR’s content varies pretty widely covering subject matter like hidden gems, games top XX lists for consoles, casually playing games or going on adventures with his friends, traveling to see other collectors’ collections, new mods/console/accessories/etc, and more.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I’ve honestly sat on my couch with my laptop open taking notes while watching some of his top XX games and hidden gems videos. I seem to have similar tastes in games and his knowledge of game libraries for some consoles runs deep. I also have found value in some of his videos covering new console accessories, cables, etc and have even made purchases based on his coverage.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? MetalJesuRocks is one of my favorite YouTube channels, period. Some of his videos are insanely educational while others are just plain fun. My only real critique of his channel is that sometimes his videos run a little long for my taste, but that’s a minor nit-pick. I tend to consume shorter videos in high quantities and a 30+ minute video isn’t always what I’m seeking, although I do sometimes circle back to those long videos when the timing is right.

RGT 85

Link to the channel: RGT 85
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 215,550
How often does he post videos? Daily, sometimes multiple times a day.
What is the main kind of content he publishes? Mainly gaming news and reviews, but sometimes he posts other types of content as well.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I mostly get current game news, rumors about upcoming games or consoles, and reviews on modern games and hardware from RGT 85’s channel. We seem reasonably like-minded so if he likes something then I usually know I should dig deeper to see if it is something I would like. He’s also a Sega fanboy like myself so I know I am getting solid Sega news and reviews from him on the rare occasion there is something Sega related worth talking about.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? RGT 85’s videos are just a guy in an apartment filled with video games in Connecticut giving you gaming news and reviews. His channel has its own charm and is packed full of good information. I really enjoy RGT 85’s content, but the little nit-pick I have is that he butchers the English language sometimes. It isn’t a huge deal and doesn’t detract from his content, but his misuse of words drives me a little crazy.

Spawn Wave

Link to the channel: Spawn Wave
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 298,268
How often does he post videos? Daily, sometimes multiple times a day.
What is the main kind of content he publishes? Gaming news and rumors, unboxing and reviews on gaming related purchases he makes, and general coverage of modern gaming events.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I watch Spawn Wave’s channel a lot mostly to get modern gaming news. He also does videos where he might, for example, by a refurbished console or selection of games from Game Stop then unboxes and takes a dive into what he really received. I find these types of videos useful because he knows the internals and failure points of game hardware well enough to tell you things like “don’t buy a refurbished Xbox 360 from Game Stop” and I use this information when making purchasing decisions.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? Spawn Wave often present video games news in a manner similar to how you would expect to receive the regular news. This makes him stand out from the pack a bit and gives him authority and credibility in a way. As with the previous guys, I have no major complaints about Spawn Wave’s channel. If I have to say something it might be that he is a bit too serious or cold in his delivery at times.

DidYouKnowGaming?

Link to the channel: DidYouKnowGaming?
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 2,276,922
How often do they post videos? Multiple times a week.
What is the main kind of content they publish? History and trivia about retro games, game series, consoles, and more.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? I like watching DidYouKnowGaming? because I learn lesser known, interesting facts about all things gaming. I especially enjoyed their whole series on the Zelda franchise.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? Big surprise, I don‘t have any real complaints about this channel. If unusual and interesting facts about gaming is what you seek, then you will like this channel. It isn’t as fun as others on the list, but it scratches a different itch.

The 8-bit Guy

Link to the channel: The 8-bit Guy
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 923,762
How often does he post videos? About every 1 to 2 weeks.
What is the main kind of content he publishes? Information, restoration, and DIY videos about classic gaming computers.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? The main thing I takeaway from The 8-bit Guy’s videos is knowledge on classic gaming computers. It is a topic for which I have a curiosity and occasionally enjoy learning more about.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? The content is a little dry, but if you want solid information on classic gaming computers, then you will find value in this channel.

Scott the Woz

Link to the channel: Scott the Woz
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 564,033
How often does he post videos? 1 to 3 times a week
What is the main kind of content he publishes? Scott the Woz’s videos cover a variety of gaming topics, but mostly you’ll opinions and facts on retro game, consoles, series, etc. He has an interesting sense of humor that is present throughout all of his videos giving them a high entertainment value.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I don‘t really learn too much. Occasionally I’ll pick up an interesting fact about an old franchise or console, but mostly his channel is just entertaining.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? I really enjoy Scott the Woz’s channel and have watched many of his videos when just passing the time. My only complaint about this channel is the amount of sexual innuendo and sexually related jokes and the only reason I mention that at all is because my 10-year-old son likes his channel too. I don’t mind that kind of content when I’m expecting it, but I wasn’t expecting that to be such a theme in a lot of his videos and, after watching one of his videos recently, my son me what “getting laid” means. It isn’t offensive or anything, but I no longer watch his videos when my son is in the room.

Girlfriend Reviews

Link to the channel: Girlfriend Reviews
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 464,586
How often do they post videos? Once a week.
What is the main kind of content they publish? Girlfriend Reviews is a channel run by a couple who like video games. Mostly, the videos are about what it is like to be the girlfriend of a guy playing . Occasionally the narrator (the girlfriend) does a review of a game she played too.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? I don‘t really watch this channel to learn anything because it is just plain entertaining and funny. I do occasionally get ideas of games to play with my wife.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? Girlfriend Reviews has a fairly high production value and is entertaining as hell. Expect humorous reviews on games from a different perspective and you’ll enjoy the content tremendously.

Game Sack

Link to the channel: Game Sack
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 216,892
How often do they post videos? Roughly once a week.
What is the main kind of content they publish? Joe and Dave from Game Sack cover a wide variety of retro gaming topics. You will find videos for clone system reviews, game reviews, game playthroughs, and “best game” lists.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? I trust the reviews these two guys make and take them into strong consideration when deciding on a new clone console or retro game purchase. The force is strong with these two!
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? Their content is rich and almost always educational, but the delivery is a little flat and boring sometimes.

Pixel Game Squad

Link to the channel: Pixel Game Squad
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 26,727
How often do they post videos? 1 to 2 times a week
What is the main kind of content they publish? Pixel Game Squad’s content consists mostly of a group of funny guys that collect retro games and toys going to swap meets, privately owned warehouses, Game Stop, or any other place they might find a good deal on something they collect. There’s bartering, shenanigans, and lots of kidding around.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? I’ve gotten some good tips on how to get good deals from these guys. For example,this weekend I went to the flea market searching for games and I carried a satchel so the vendors couldn‘t see I was buying games and I knew to hold up a handful of games with the good ones in the back of the stack and say “how much for all of these”. Both are great tips I picked up watching this channel.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? Pixel Game Squad is a channel that doesn‘t take itself too seriously. It’s about having fun and meeting new people while on the search for new items for their collections. I have nothing at all negative to say!

Digital Foundry

Link to the channel: Digital Foundry
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 738,878
How often do they post videos? Every 1 to 2 days.
What is the main kind of content they publish? Digital Foundry kind of specializes in making videos about gaming graphics and performance. There are other elements to their videos, but they really dive deeply into topics like graphics comparisons with ray tracing vs without, how does a new game perform on a PS4 Pro vs an Xbox One X, reviews on new graphics cards, etc.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? I usually just satisfy my curiosities with Digital Foundry’s content. Occasionally I pick up some useful information about graphics cards or a new HDMI mod for an older console.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? If you are looking for hardcore graphics comparisons and some very technically minded reviews, Digital Foundry is a channel worth checking out. Their videos can get a little long sometimes, but they are always full of information from start to finish.

The Game Theorists

Link to the channel: The Game Theorists
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 11,631,377
How often do they post videos? 1 to 2 times a week
What is the main kind of content they publish? It varies wildly, but in my opinion, their best videos are their “Game Theory” series.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? While it isn’t the most useful knowledge, I’ve learned a little about the impossibility of video game physics when compared to real-world physics.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? A few months ago, The Game Theorists was cheated out of a substantial amount of income by their management company. While I think this type of thing is disgusting and I really feel bad for the channel, I feel like the content has gone downhill a bit since that has happened. They have since posted a number of videos regarding what it is like to be a YouTube channel, how they were ripped off, and the problems with YouTube itself. I find these videos interesting sometimes, but I didn’t subscribe to this channel to have these videos in my feed. Maybe this type of content would have been better suited for a second channel? Also, they do their “Game Theory” videos on a lot of games I couldn’t care less about. Still, I thoroughly enjoy the videos of theirs that I choose to watch, I just find that I’m not too interested in watching a lot of their content.

Gamehut

Link to the channel: Gamehut
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 113,291
How often does he post videos? 1 to 4 times a month.
What is the main kind of content they publish? Gamehut’s content scratches my gamer itch and my developer itch at the same time. The channel is narrated by someone who worked on a handful of popular games as a developer back in the 90s. Their content really shines a light on how difficult it was to be a developer for hardware with such limited resources.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I’ve learned why it was so difficult to develop games for the Saturn, tricks developers used on to conserve memory so they can squeeze in more content, and a little bit about what it was like to be a part of the team that made some classics from the 90s.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? This channel might not be for everyone as it is more technical information regarding coding tricks and hardware limitations of older consoles. If you’ve ever been interested to learn even a little about how some of your favorite 16-bit and 32-bit games were made, Gamehut is worth checking out.

LGR

Link to the channel: LGR
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 1,141,331
How often do they post videos? Weekly
What is the main kind of content they publish? LGR’s videos cover more than just retro video games. You can find videos on topics such as restoring a Gateway computer from 1999, building a NES classic using legos and a raspberry pi, and more. The main theme of the channel is old tech, but that includes a fair amount of retro gaming hardware too.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? I find that LGR’s videos teach a new appreciation for older technologies, how to build emulator setups using modern technologies to play retro games, and other random bits of information to satisfy whatever curiosities I might have.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? If you seek out deeply technical, informational videos covering retro technology then LGR is a channel worth watching.

Kelsey Lewin

Link to the channel: Kelsey Lewin
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 109,046
How often does she post videos? Every 1 to 2 months
What is the main kind of content she publishes? Kelsey is one of the owner’s of Pink Gorilla Games in Seattle and she appears fairly often on MetalJesusRocks videos. She shares a lot of her knowledge on rare and unusual retro games and hardware.
What is the type of information I usually learn from her channel? I find that while watching Kelsey’s videos, I pick up knowledge about less popular or less known hardware and games. It’s made me want to collect for more of the unusual consoles and handhelds.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of her channel? Kelsey has a good energy about her that comes across well in her videos. Whether she’s talking about her love of collecting for the Wonderswan or taking a deep dive into the GameBoy sewing machine, you feel that she not only knows a lot about the topic but really loves and appreciates the games and hardware she talks about.

HappyConsoleGamer

Link to the channel: HappyConsoleGamer
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 211,579
How often does he post videos? 1 to 3 times a week
What is the main kind of content he publishes? HappyConsoleGamer mostly publishes reviews, top ten lists, and general rants regarding all things video games.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I value HappyConsoleGamer’s opinion regarding his reviews and take it into consideration when making purchases. I also take notes on some of his top ten lists videos and add some of those games to my wish lists.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? HappyConsoleGamer is a Gen-Xer like myself and he shares lots of memories and stories that anyone playing games in the 80s and 90s as a kid/teenager could identify with. He has an interesting sense of humor sometimes and anyone looking to reminisce about gaming in the 80s and 90s and anyone looking for honest reviews on modern games will enjoy his videos.

Gaming Historian

Link to the channel: Gaming Historian
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 598,342
How often does he post videos? Anywhere from twice a month to once every 3 months.
What is the main kind of content he publishes? Gaming Historian is a channel that selects a topic then makes a video containing any and all information you could ever want on that topic. The videos are polished and incredibly educational.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? Ever hear of the Aladdin Deck Enhancer? Do you know that Nike sued Sega? Ever wonder who invented the D-pad? These are just some of the topics covered on Gaming Historian’s channel.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? The presentation is polished, the content is rich and informative, and he can’t watch a Gaming Historian video without learning something. I have no critiques at all! This channel is deeply educational, polished, and entertaining. If you want to know any of the history of video games then this is the channel for you.

BeatEmUps

Link to the channel: BeatEmUps
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 578,821
How often does he post videos? A few times a week.
What is the main kind of content he publishes? Nintendo Switch related news, reviews, etc. Occasionally a video that isn’t Switch related slips into the mix, but this channel is very focused on all things Nintendo Switch.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? There is usually a good entertainment value to BeatEmUps videos, but I’ve also learned things like which eShop games are good, what Switch accessories to avoid, etc.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? Wood Hawker, the creator of the channel, is a younger guy from Australia living in Texas with a respectable games collection and an extreme love for the Nintendo Switch. He has a great energy about him, a love for what he is doing, and does a good job keeping a variety of content on his channel. I sometimes wish he’d do fewer videos specifically about the Switch, but I still enjoy a lot of his videos and find them useful and informative. My favorite videos on his channel are the ones where he and his girlfriend buy a bunch of unusual Switch accessories for each other then unbox them and discuss them.

Gamester81

Link to the channel: Gamester81
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 106,837
How often does he post videos? 1 to 2 times a week.
What is the main kind of content he publishes? Gamester81’s channel does a lot of reviews and news, but it is usually regarding different subjects than most other reviews and news channels. Instead of covering the latest controversy surrounding micro-transactions or the lowest flop from EA, you’ll get news and reviews covering the latest emulation hardware or retro controllers released along with some looks at older, rarer retro gaming hardware and games.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? Like a few other channels I’ve listed so far, I pick up information regarding new hardware for playing older games. I also enjoy his looks at some of the older, lesser known hardware and games in his collection.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? Gamester81 makes informative and interesting retro games focused videos that stand out from the pack. The production value isn’t as high as others and the audio and video aren‘t always great, but that doesn’t matter to me so much. He loves retro games, has a unique collection, and has a lot to say and those are the things that keep me drawn to his channel.

Cinemassacre

Link to the channel: Cinemassacre
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 2,982,927
How often does he post videos? 2 to 4 times per week
What is the main kind of content he publishes? Video game and classic movies reviews, the Angry Video Game Nerd series, and videos where he just plays a game with a friend and they have random conversations while playing.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I don‘t really learn too much as the point of watching this channel is to be entertaining. I value his opinions on older games and hardware, ROM hacks, and older movies.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? While I don’t watch Cinemassacre a ton, I find the Angry Video Game Nerd series funny most of the time and enjoy some of the other videos on occasion. This is a good channel to kill time watching.

My Life in Gaming

Link to the channel: My Life in Gaming
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 136,831
How often do they post videos? 1 to 2 times a month
What is the main kind of content they publish? The main focus of their content seems to be modern clone consoles, getting the best possible picture from retro consoles, deep dives on older consoles, console modifications, and more.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? I watched a lot of videos from My Life in Gaming once I decided I wanted to be a functional collector meaning I keep my console hooked up all the time and ready to play. Their videos on which revision of certain consoles have the best output and how to get the best picture from older consoles have helped me purchase the right console revisions, cables, and upscalers to have a fantastic gaming setup.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? Their videos can be long and a little dry, but if you find a video of theirs covering a topic for which you are seeking information, then look no further. I’ve learned more about upscalers, RGB output, and console mods from this channel than anywhere else.

John Hancock

Link to the channel: John Hancock
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 83,368
How often does he post videos? A few times a week.
What is the main kind of content he publishes? John Hancock, known as “The Immortal John Hancock”, posts a variety of videos. You will find videos covering everything from modern AV cables for retro consoles to Switch live streams to what he has in his collection. He is a walking museum of retro gaming knowledge and has one of the most impressive collections imaginable.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I have learned a fair amount about some older consoles from this channel and I take a lot of stock in his reviews on newer accessories and clone consoles.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? I found out about John Hancock from MetalJesusRocks as MJR who did some videos about John Hancock’s massive collection and occasionally has him on for other videos. He’s a happy, upbeat guy that REALLY loves retro gaming and it shows. The depth and size of his collection are truly amazing and he knows a lot of history and facts about everything he owns.

JohnRiggs

Link to the channel: John Riggs
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 68,136
How often do they post videos? A few times a week.
What is the main kind of content they publish? John is another ouTuber that posts a wide variety of content. You can find videos covering everything from him trying to fix old game cartridges to him talking about gaming in general and gaming conventions.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? I’ve learned a good bit from John’s “opencart surgery” videos and even managed to repair 3 of my own cartridges using his methods. I also value his opinions and reviews regarding modern and retro games and hardware.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? John’s channel is the most like a vlog than any other channel I’ve mentioned, but that‘s ok. There’s not a strict focus to his content other than gaming which makes for a channel with something for every gamer.

Modern Vintage Gamer

Link to the channel: Modern Vintage Gamer
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 210,050
How often does he post videos? 1 to 2 times a week
What is the main kind of content he publishes? Modern Vintage Gamer posts videos covering a wide variety of gaming topics such as clone consoles, console mods and hacks, emulation, hardware reviews, and more.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I’ve learned about a lot of console hacks, mods, and clone hardware.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? I find the videos on Modern VIntage Gamer interesting and watch a lot of his videos out of curiosity. The channel provides a unique perspective and look at past consoles, emulation, and hacks/mods and I can’t recommend this channel enough!

Gameranx

Link to the channel: Gameranx
Subscriber count at the time of this writing: 5,025,768
How often do they post videos? Daily, sometimes more than once a day.
What is the main kind of content they publish? Gameranx is hyper focused on modren gaming news and reviews.
What is the type of information I usually learn from their channel? I get a lot of game news from this channel as watch their “Before You Buy” series before buying a new game for one of my modern consoles.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of their channel? Gameranx is a heavy hitter with over 5 million subscribers. The channel is one of the best places to get news and reviews about what is currently going on in the gaming world. My son and I watch every one of their game glitch videos immediately after they show up in my feed as we usually laugh hysterically for the duration of the videos.

Mystic

Link to the channel:
Subscriber count at the time of this writing:
How often does he post videos? A couple of times a week.
What is the main kind of content he publishes? This is mostly another game news channel with the majority of the videos being focused on the Sony consoles.
What is the type of information I usually learn from his channel? I only recently starting watching Mystic, but the video that initially got me interested was one where he ordered a huge lot of PS3 games from eBay and unboxed them. Since then, I’ve taken away bits of PS4 news.
What are my overall thoughts and critiques of his channel? If you need another gaming news source in your life that focuses a lot on Sony/PS4 then Mystic is the channel for you. Sometimes it is nice to have a channel in your feed that is focused a bit more tightly on a specific console rather than gaming as a whole.