What Is Beta Testing in Gaming? (Not a Genre)

"Beta gaming" isn't a genre. It refers to the Beta Test phase of game development.

What Is a Beta Test?

Pre-release build (feature-complete, content-complete or near) released to players.
Goal: Find bugs, stress servers, balance gameplay, gather telemetry/feedback.
Timing: After Alpha (internal) → before Gold/Launch.

Type	Access	Scale	Purpose
Closed Beta	Invite-only / Sign-up / Purchase	Hundreds–Thousands	Core systems, balance, NDA often
Open Beta	Anyone	Tens–Hundreds of thousands	Server stress, marketing, onboarding
Early Access (Steam)	Purchase	Ongoing	Fund development, iterate publicly
Technical Test / Stress Test	Limited windows	Targeted	Netcode, matchmaking, backend

Watch official sites, Discord, Twitter/X for sign-ups. Steam "Upcoming" → "Request Access." Publisher newsletters.

PSP Games