Why Being A Video Game Tester Isn’t A Dream Come True

published – July 25th 2022

Whenever a legitimate business creates any kind of digital product chances are that it is going to need to go through a regimented testing process (typically happening in phases or stages). After this important business, the final product is ready to be released to the general public.

This is true for all sorts of technology including websites, mobile apps (on both android and ioS), and also video games. That’s where you come in.

This sort of work will allow an experienced gaming enthusiast the opportunity to try a new computer game for the first time and also get paid real money for the pleasure. Some even make a viable full-time career out of it rather than just part-time side income only.

This job sounds like a pretty sweet deal on paper for those who want to make a living, but is there more to it than that?

programming Why Being A Video Game Tester Isn't A Dream Come True earn work jobs make money online from home gaming computer user test usability professional freelance glitch bug functionality quality control — photo by hitesh0141 from pixabay

What exactly is a video game tester?

Some companies will pay people to user-test video games as a quality control measure for identifying problems. I’ve already written previously about general usability testing, but now we’re talking specifically about the job description of those who test out video games for money.

Game testers are also referred to as QA (quality assurance) testers. The scale of a bug can either be large or small. It doesn’t really matter as long as a tester can detect and report it in their notebook. Prepare yourself for the repetition of game testing as this isn’t for everyone.

One of the big perks computer game testers receive is the privilege of being part of an exclusive club that gets to have their hands on a new game (albeit a “beta build”) before it is ever officially released to the masses.

So much game testing involves using an unfinished product. You may not get as much enjoyment out of this as you would playing a fully-refined, high-quality game.

How much money do top professional video game testers earn?

On average, successful video game testers rake in a $50,000 salary approximately. Although, this very rough figure of income can differ greatly.

It typically depends on if you are doing this remotely on a freelance basis or if it is a salaried position in an office at a company that pays you to play. This isn’t quite the top-paying six-figure occupation when you compare it with a twitch streamer or an esports star.

Duties & responsibilities of the job

Testers earn a living telling video game creators what works or doesn’t work on both a subjective and objective level. Moreover, you will typically be working towards a deadline so you won’t just be able to play a game in ideal conditions at a leisurely pace as you might do in your downtime.

Game testers typically go through a checklist and give comments on their experience playing the computer game from their workstation. In addition, they will report any glitches or bugs.

You may be asked to comment on the general pace, functionality, and coherence of a game from both a narrative and gameplay perspective as well so that the player will ultimately benefit from your feedback. Think about what questions your employer might have about the game and try to answer those in your bug report.

Sometimes testers are asked to implement techniques that deliberately “break” a game just to see how watertight it actually is as an overall experience. An easy game to break is bad and also a big problem for the developers.

Additionally, you will often be asked to play the same sections of a level over and over again so this can require a lot of patience and tolerance for repetition as I’m sure you can understand.

Skills & Qualifications

This career path isn’t something just for beginners as game testers can earn more money if they have certain requirements like knowledge, experience, and qualifications related to:

writing
programming
graphic design
coding
computer science

Testers will open up job opportunities for themselves if they have these qualities as well as a firm grasp of several video game genres rather than just one or two. In addition, you will get more work and boost your earnings if you can play on multiple consoles and platforms rather than just a select few.

If you want a career in video game testing then my advice would be to research schools, colleges, and universities that offer the relevant courses. For students and graduates, many of these places offer video game-related:

scholarships
degrees
internships
apprenticeships
mentorships

If you are having money troubles on your journey then you may be eligible for a government grant to pay for your education. It’s better to start learning early in life as a child or teenager, but it is never too late to begin studying either.

Another cost-effective way of studying is by reading books. In particular, if you want to learn how to monetize your gaming in several other ways then you should definitely check out this ebook.

laptop Why Being A Video Game Tester Isn't A Dream Come True earn work jobs make money online from home gaming computer user test usability professional freelance glitch bug functionality quality control — photo by kalhh from pixabay

The testing stage is a necessary task for any business no matter what the industry. There is always work available as some of the biggest and best gaming companies that perform usability testing include the likes of:

When it comes to game developers, poor testing is something that can affect both the revenue and reputation of a company. It might seem like a dream come true to make money testing video games for a living as you play to earn but there are both positives and negatives to this as we have just explored.

You may still be wondering if the benefits of this job are worth it for your future. Are there any legit computer game testing jobs near me? Your next step should be to scour the internet for video game testing jobs (resume and cover letter in hand). You can also try other channels when searching for openings and vacancies.

As a guide, this is especially important for home-based freelance testers who work on a remote basis as these people will constantly be trying to hunt down work after each separate assignment.

If you feel that the game testing occupation isn’t for you then there are plenty of other opportunities for you to make money gaming. This is especially true in the world of mobile gaming where apps like mistplay will pay you to play games on your smartphone or tablet.

There is so much more information out there about the monetization of video game testing on websites like dollarbreak and thebrandedbucks. I’ve pointed out a few negatives here but I think you can get more enjoyment out of video game testing, the better you are at it. Allow me to lead the way by showing you 5 Terrific Tips To Make You A Expert Video Game Tester.

Do you think you would enjoy being a video game tester for cash? What are the best and worst parts of this job, in your opinion? Please don’t forget to share this with your friends and like it on social media. You can subscribe to our newsletter and comment below too. Thanks for reading!