Key Takeaways
- OBS is the most popular, free, and open-source streaming software.
- It’s easy to set up, versatile, and customizable for any streaming need.
- Features like instant replays and streaming to multiple platforms make OBS a top choice for streamers.
As gaming has become more and popular, sharing your love for gaming through streaming has also become a popular hobby and even a job for a lot of people. There’s a good chance you’re thinking about doing the same thing, and if that’s the case, you should know that the best option for getting started with streaming is to use OBS, otherwise known as Open Broadcaster Software.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great tools for game recording and streaming, but OBS is arguably the most popular, and there’s a good reason for that. It’s arguably the best option, and here are just a few reasons why I recommend it whether you’re just starting to stream or you’re a veteran.
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5 It’s free and open source
Most streaming software today is free for the most part (some may have premium versions), but what’s really great about OBS is that not only is it free, but it’s also open-source. The project is developed and maintained by a huge community of enthusiasts, who understand the needs and wants of streamers. It’s not trying to shoehorn any useless features to get you to pay for it or anything.
What’s more, being community-developed means you can contribute your own solutions if you’re more technically-inclined. Even the greatest piece of software can always improve, and your contributions will be welcome. As a final bonus, being open-source means you can go in yourself and see what’s in the code so you know there’s nothing fishy going on with the program. Transparency is always good.
4 It’s easy to set up
No fuss, no frills
I’ve tried a lot of game streaming and recording software assume the user doesn’t really know where to start and add all kinds of things to make it “easier” to get up and running. But personally, I always felt like alternatives such as Streamlabs OBS (which is based on the same code) end up creating more hurdles to getting started.
When I started streaming, I just wanted to have my game taking up the entire space and my webcam down in the corner. I didn’t want any fancy layouts that require this or that plug-in or anything. OBS makes that the easiest, while some other alternatives feel like they try too hard. You can achieve the same things in OBS that any other product can do (and likely even more), but those things aren’t made more prominent than they need to be.
3 It’s super versatile
Create as many scenes as you need, and switch between them
Streaming is something that can last a long time, and sometimes you may need to leave or alternate between different layouts or screens during a stream. Thankfully, this is very easy with OBS. You can create a virtually unlimited number of scenes and add as manu sources as you want to each one. Sources can be anything from webcams, capture cards, screen captures, or even specific application captures. Theres so much you can do, and you can easily create the layout for each scene with the elements you want, so you can make the perfect streaming setup for every need.
And switching between different scenes is also easy. You can use a hotkey for switching to a specific scene, but what’s really cool is a feature called Studio Mode, where you can preview a scene before switching to it. Basically, this shows you your current stream on one side, and when you choose a different scene, you can see what it will look like next to it. If everything looks right, you can then make the switch to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Oh, and OBS can stream to all major platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and even platforms like Restream, or you can use a custom server if you have one. An option like Twitch Studio would naturally only work for streaming on Twitch. The possibilities are endless with OBS.
2 It’s modular, too
You can make it look like whatever you prefer
The versatility of OBS isn’t limited to what it can do for your stream. It can also do a lot for you. The OBS streaming dashboard has a lot of elements, but you don’t have to use anything you don’t want, or you can simply move their positions around to your liking. You can even dock and undock certain UI elements so they’re in a separate window, making it easy to create the perfect layout for any PC setup.
There are also a lot of plug-ins for OBS, so you can add that many more features to make it more useful to you. Some common ones are live chat integrations or stream notifications, but there’s a lot more.
1 Easily create instant replays
For when you really want to save a special moment
One of the big reasons to use game recording or streaming software in the first place is to be able to capture those rare moments when you pull off a cool trick or maneuver that most people wouldn’t think to do. But going through an entire stream or recording to find the clips you want to share individually can be pretty tedious, and OBS helps with this too.
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OBS includes a feature called Replay buffer, and it essentially keeps a recording of the last few seconds (the length is up to you) on your system at any given time. That way, if an important moment happens in your game, you can use the designated hotkey to save that moment into a video file you can easily share. You can do this all while hosting a proper stream, too, as long as your PC has the hardware to encode all of it at the same time.
Up your streaming game
OBS really is a program that can do it all, from streaming to game recording, and it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. Open-source community efforts are always great for their spirit alone, but OBS manages to also deliver one of the best products you can use for the market it’s competing in. Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned streamer, OBS is the program to use. While I don’t stream much these days, OBS remains my go-to.