Best gaming podcasts and YouTube channels to follow

Gaming has never had more people talking about it – which makes it harder to know who’s worth your commute, your washing-up or your Sunday morning. Here’s a shortlist of podcasts and YouTube channels we rate, from the US, the UK and beyond. Every one of them had published new episodes or videos recently when we checked in mid-October 2026; we’ve left out anything that looked dormant.

Most of these are in English, and all are free to listen to or watch (some offer optional paid memberships for extras). Podcasts are on the usual apps worldwide; YouTube availability is the same almost everywhere.

Podcasts

Giant Bombcast (US)

One of the longest-running gaming podcasts around: weekly, long, rambling in the best way, and as much about the people as the games. Good company for a long drive.

Triple Click (US)

Three games writers and critics talk about one game or topic per episode, with a healthy mix of big releases and odd questions. A great entry point if you want smart without stuffy.

The Besties (US)

Friends arguing about which games are best, culminating in an annual “Game of the Year” fight. Light, funny and easy to dip into.

Kinda Funny Gamescast (US)

A weekly chat about gaming news and what the hosts are playing, with a strong PlayStation and Xbox focus. Also on YouTube if you’d rather watch.

Sacred Symbols (US)

A long-running PlayStation podcast: news, reviews and a lot of opinions. For anyone who wants to follow PlayStation closely.

Retronauts (US)

Deep dives into classic games and gaming history – each episode is like a mini documentary. Perfect if you grew up on older consoles or want to learn where today’s games came from.

The Retro Hour (UK)

A UK-made retro gaming podcast with long-form interviews with the people who made classic games, plus news from the retro scene.

Digital Foundry Direct Weekly (UK)

The Digital Foundry team’s weekly round-up of tech news – frame rates, consoles, PC hardware and how new games actually run.

YouTube channels

Digital Foundry (UK)

The go-to channel for “how does this game run on my console?” Detailed performance analysis, comparisons and retro tech deep dives.

Noclip

Long-form documentaries about how games are made, often with remarkable access to studios. Ideal for a quiet evening.

People Make Games (UK)

Investigative video journalism about the games industry – the business, the workers and the controversies. Fewer videos, but each one is substantial.

Kinda Funny Games (US)

Daily news shows, reviews and podcasts on video. If you want to keep up with gaming news every day, this is the firehose.

Easy Allies (US)

A community-funded channel of reviews, previews and weekly shows from a friendly team of long-time games writers.

Game Maker’s Toolkit

Videos explaining why games work – level design, mechanics, accessibility. It posts less often than the others (a new video every few weeks to months), but each is worth the wait.

Getting the most out of them

• Use a podcast app’s speed control if hour-long episodes feel like too much – 1.2× is barely noticeable.
• Subscribe, don’t search. Turn on notifications for one or two favourites and let the rest find you.
• Mind the spoilers. Many shows flag spoiler sections – skip them for games you’re still playing.

If you want to start making your own content, our budget streaming setup guide covers the basics. And for something to play while you listen, see our best Steam Deck and handheld games for the commute.