Best OBS Streaming Settings 2025

For the best OBS streaming settings in 2025 you will want to set the rate control to CBR. Doing so will provide a constant quality that is ideal for streaming. Additionally, you will need set a bitrate. Your bitrate controls the quality of your stream. However, you are limited by your upload speed, and what the streaming service allows. For Twitch you can use a maximum bitrate of 8000, and for YouTube you can use 10000.

Video Encoder: NVIDIA NVENC HEVC or AMD HW H.265, alternatively use NVIDIA NVENC H.264 or AMD HW H.264
Rate Control: CBR
Bitrate: 8000 for Twitch or 10000 for YouTube
Keyframe Interval: 2 s
Preset: P6: Slower (Better Quality)
Tuning: High Quality
Multipass Mode: Two Passes (Quarter Resolution)
Profile: High
Look-ahead: Unchecked
Psycho Visual Tuning: Checked
GPU: 0
Max B-frames: 2

Best OBS Video Settings for Streaming

The video settings are pretty straight forward when it comes to streaming. You can use your screen’s resolution or just use1920x1080 for simplicity. However, for the Output Resolution you will want to use 1920×1080 to stream in 1080p. Additionally, 60 FPS is the best option for Streaming with OBS.

In some cases your Output Resolution will be different to your Base Resolution. If this is the case you will want to set the Downscale Filter setting to Lanczos (Sharpened scaling, 36 samples). Doing so will ensure the best quality for your rescaled image.

How to Fix Laggy or Stuttering Stream in OBS

If your stream is lagging or stuttering then it could be due to multiple reasons. One common reason is that your stream bitrate is too high for your upload speed. You can try reducing your streaming bitrate to fix lag issues. Additionally, if you’re streaming using a Wi-Fi connection then the instability of your connection can be causing the lag.

Another possible solution is to lower your streaming preset. Lowering your streaming preset won’t affect the quality of your stream too much and can fix lag issues. Using P4: Medium (Medium Quality) will typically resolve the issue, however, you should try using the P5: Slow (Good Quality) option first.

Furthermore, you will want to stream using your GPU if possible. You can do this by changing the video encoder setting to an NVIDIA or AMD option. While HEVC or H.265 are the best options, using either H.264 video encoder options will also help fix lag. If you’re using the x264 video encoder then you’re using your CPU to stream. This isn’t ideal, especially when gaming, as it can cause performance issues.

Best OBS Streaming Settings for Quality

For the best quality streams your main focus will be bitrate and rate control. Your bitrate controls how much information is being used, per second, to generate your stream. The more information or data, the better quality your stream will be. Because of this, you will want to use the maximum bitrate possible. For Twitch you can use 8000, and 10000 for YouTube. Additionally, you will want to use the CBR option for Rate control. This will ensure your stream maintains its high quality.

Best Video Encoder for Streaming with OBS

The best video encoder for streaming will vary depending on what options you have. Typically, the NVIDIA NVENC HEVC or AMD HW H.265 options are preferred. These are both hardware encoders which use your GPU to create the video you’re streaming, rather than you CPU. However, these options are only available on some platforms. Additionally, not all AMD or NVIDIA graphics cards have these options. Instead you may have NVIDIA NVENC H.264 or AMD HW H.264. Both of these encoder options are the next best thing. However, if you don’t have any hardware encoders then you will need to use the standard x264 encoder.

Why is HEVC/H.265 Better than H.264?

The HEVC or H.265 video encoder options do a better job at compressing the footage. This means you get better video quality for the same bitrate as the H.264 alternatives. However, not all platforms and graphics cards support HEVC/H.265. If you have the option then it is the best choice for streaming. However, both the NVIDIA and AMD H.264 are fine for streaming.

Best OBS Bitrate for Streaming

When it comes to streaming bitrate you will want to use the highest bitrate possible. However, this varies depending on the platform you’re streaming to, and your upload speed. If your bitrate is too high for your upload speed then the stream will lag, or drop out. Due to this we have created a helpful guide that you can use to pick a bitrate. However, you won’t want to exceed a 10000 bitrate for YouTube, or 8000 bitrate for Twitch.

What Frame Rate Should I Stream At?

You will always want to stream at 60 FPS, however, this isn’t always possible. As the quality of your stream is more important you will want to use 30 FPS in situations where you have to lower your bitrate. With a lower frame rate the bitrate is spread across less frames, improving the image quality.

What is the Maximum Bitrate for Twitch?

If you are streaming to Twitch then you are limited to a bitrate of 6000, and 8000 for a partner. However, even if you aren’t a partner it’s best to stream with an 8000 bitrate, provided your upload speed supports it. Doing so will allow your stream to be better quality at times when Twitch has additional free resources. Although Twitch might not allow you to use 8000 as a non-partner, you can enable the ignore streaming service setting recommendations option. This will allow you to use a bitrate of 8000 on Twitch.

How to Ignore Streaming Service Setting Recommendations

1. Open the OBS Settings & select Stream from the side.
2. Select your streaming platform.
3. Sign in to the account you will be Streaming on.
4. Go to the Advanced Options and enable Ignore streaming service setting recommendations.
5. Click Apply.

How to Add or Remove Stream Delay in OBS

You can add or remove stream delay through the Stream Delay settings within OBS. By default stream delay should be disabled. If you want to add stream delay then you will need to check the Enable box and input a duration. The duration is how many seconds the stream will be delayed. However, adding a stream delay can make the experience for chatters worse.

How to Improve OBS Performance

If you’re having performance issues in OBS then you can try adjusting your stream settings. The first setting which I would try changing is the preset. On low-end PCs or one PC streaming setups you can often issues by using the P4: Medium (Medium Quality) preset. Additionally, you will want to turn off the look-ahead setting.

Another way you can improve OBS performance is by changing the Process Priority to Above Normal. This will prioritize your OBS performance over other applications. However, this can make games or other applications lag. You will not want to set the process priority to high as it can cause other issues.

Best Resolution for Streaming

For streaming the best resolution is 1080p. However, some might argue that 956p is better for Twitch. This is because the resolution allows you to get the best image quality with the bitrate restrictions. However, 1080p recordings are far more suited for growth. When streaming in 1080p the VOD and clips will be of a higher resolution. This makes it easier to edit and use your stream for content on other platforms.

Best OBS Bitrate for 1080p 60FPS Streams

If you’re streaming in 1080p then you’ll want to use a bitrate between 6000 and 10000. However, Twitch only allows a maximum bitrate of 8000. Meanwhile YouTube allows up to 10000, which is slightly better, but requires a higher upload speed.

What is a VOD Track in OBS?

A VOD track is a separate audio track that is used only for your saved broadcast. With a VOD track you can adjust which audio devices are heard on your VOD, allowing them to be different to your stream. Typically, this done to remove music from a past broadcast. You can make the most out of a VOD track if you separate your application audio in OBS. At the moment the option to have a VOD track is only available if you are streaming to Twitch.

How to Start Streaming with OBS Studio

Once you have your stream settings setup and have connected your stream, you will be able to start your stream. Fortunately, starting your stream with OBS is fairly easy. Under the preview menu you will see the Controls dock, which will have the option to Start Streaming. Clicking the button will start your stream. Additionally, you can set a hotkey which will allow you to start streaming using a keyboard shortcut.

Connect Stream to OBS Studio

You can connect your stream to OBS through the Stream settings. Once you have the stream settings page open you’ll be able to choose the platform or website you want to stream to. Doing so will give you the ability to connect your stream account. The easiest option is to sign in to your account, however, you can also add a stream key. Both options will allow you to start streaming.