How to record video game matches with OBS Studio on your computer in high quality 4K

Post actualizado el día September 27, 2026 by DeiviSanzPlay

Let’s break down the process of recording gameplay videos in 4K with OBS Studio.
We’ll assume the user has hardware capable of recording in 4K (powerful CPU and GPU, enough storage, etc.).

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Steps:

1. Download and install OBS Studio
   • Make sure you have the latest version from the official site: https://obsproject.com/
2. Basic OBS configuration
   • When you open OBS, the first thing to do is configure the video options in Settings -> Video.
   • In “Base (canvas) Resolution”: choose 3840×2160 (or the native resolution of your screen if it’s 4K).
   • In “Output (Scaled) Resolution”: also 3840×2160 to record in 4K.
3. Adjust the recording settings
   • Go to Settings -> Output.
   • Mode: Advanced (for more control).
   • In the “Recording” tab:
     • Type: Standard (or if you prefer, you can use containers like mkv and then remux to mp4, but OBS allows you to record directly in mp4).
     • Recording Path: Choose a location with enough space (4K recordings take up a lot of room).
     • Recording Format: MP4 (or MKV if you prefer, but MP4 is more compatible).
     • Encoder:
       • If you have an NVIDIA GPU, use NVENC (the most recommended for gaming, since it uses dedicated hardware and doesn’t overload the CPU).
       • If you have AMD, use AMD HW H.264 or H.265/HEVC.
       • If not, x264 (but this will use the CPU and can affect the performance of the game).
   • Bitrate configuration (bitrate):
     • For 4K, a high bitrate is recommended. Depending on the game (more movement requires more bitrate) and the desired quality, you can use:
       • H.264: 40,000 – 100,000 kbps (or more) for 4K.
       • H.265 (HEVC): can offer better compression, so you could use a slightly lower bitrate (but make sure your software supports it).
   • Preset (for NVENC):
     • Quality: Max Quality (or Quality if you have performance issues).
     • Profile: high (or auto).
     • Look-ahead and Psycho Visual Tuning: Enabled (but if you notice performance issues, disable them).
   • For x264, use a slow preset (but not too slow because 4K is demanding) like “slow” or “medium”, but keep in mind that this will use a lot of CPU.
4. Audio configuration
   • In Settings -> Audio:
     • Sample Rate: 48 kHz (it’s the standard for video).
     • Channels: Stereo.
   • In the audio sources (in the main OBS interface):
     • Make sure you have one source for the microphone (if you want to comment) and another for the game audio.
5. Capture the game screen
   • Add a capture source in OBS (in the scene you’re using):
     • You can use “Game Capture” (recommended for games) or “Display Capture” (but it may capture other elements).
     • Configure game capture to capture the specific game (capture mode: Capture any fullscreen window, or specific).
6. Video settings
   • In Settings -> Video:
     • FPS: 60 (if your PC and the game allow it) or 30 (if you want to save space and resources). 60 FPS is ideal for action games.
7. Recording test
   • Do a test recording of a few minutes and check the quality, audio, and system performance.
8. Hardware considerations
   • Have a fast hard drive (SSD) for recording, since 4K at high bitrate writes data very quickly.
   • Have enough RAM (16 GB minimum, 32 GB recommended) and a GPU with hardware encoding capability (NVENC or AMD equivalent).
9. Note about the H.265 (HEVC) codec
   • H.265 offers better compression than H.264, but requires more power to encode and decode. Make sure your editing software supports it.
10. Post-production
    • 4K recordings take up a lot of space. Plan to have enough storage and consider editing with a proxy (lower-resolution versions for editing) if your computer isn’t powerful enough.

Example configuration for NVENC in 4K:

text

- Resolution: 3840x2160
- FPS: 60
- Bitrate: 50,000 kbps (adjust according to the game's complexity and the desired quality)
- Preset: Max Quality
- Profile: high
- Look-ahead: Enabled
- Psycho Visual Tuning: Enabled

If you use H.265, the bitrate can be lower, for example 30,000 kbps, but keep in mind that not all players or editing software support it as well as H.264.

Remember that these are general settings and may vary depending on your hardware and the game.

If you experience performance issues (FPS drops in-game or during recording), you can lower the preset to “Quality” or reduce the bitrate.

I hope this helps you record in 4K with OBS Studio. Good luck!

How to Record Your Game Screen with OBS Studio? The OPTIMAL Step-by-Step Setup for 4K Videos Without Losing FPS! 🔥 The Definitive Guide.

The Definitive Guide: How to Record Your Game Screen with OBS Studio

Recording your gameplay has become more than just a hobby; it’s a way to share experiences, create tutorials, or even analyze your performance to improve. In the vast world of recording software, one tool stands out for its power, flexibility, and best of all, for being completely free: OBS Studio. This guide will show you, clearly and step by step, how to record your game screen with OBS Studio, configuring it to get the best possible quality without your computer suffering in the process.

Many players, when first diving into OBS, feel overwhelmed by the number of options and settings. This is understandable, as it’s professional software used even by top-tier streamers. However, with proper guidance, anyone can quickly master it. The process isn’t complicated once you understand the basics. The goal of this article is to be that compass that guides you from downloading to exporting your first video, optimizing every step for gaming.

Safe Download and Installation of OBS Studio

First things first: get the software from the official source. It’s crucial to avoid downloading OBS from third-party sites, as they could include malicious software or outdated versions. The project’s main page is obsproject.com, where you’ll find download links for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The OBS development team maintains this site and it’s the only place you should download it from.

The installation is very simple and similar to any other program. When you run the installer file, just follow the on-screen instructions. One recommendation is to leave the default options, as they are designed for most users. Once the installation is complete, run OBS Studio. The first time it opens, the auto-configuration wizard will ask if you want to optimize the settings for streaming or just for recording. Since our goal is to record PC gameplay, select the option “Optimize for recording only, I will not be streaming”.

Basic OBS Setup for Recording

Before you start recording, it’s necessary to adjust some essential parameters so everything works correctly. Inside OBS, go to “File” > “Settings”. Here you’ll find the heart of customization. The most important tab to start with is “Video”. In it, set the “Base Resolution” to your monitor’s native resolution (for example, 1920×1080) and the “Output Resolution” to the same. This ensures you record at maximum quality.

Then, go to the “Output” tab. This is where you decide the quality and format of your recording. For most users, the “Advanced” mode offers much more precise control. In the “Recording” tab, choose a “Recording Format Type”. The MP4 format is the most compatible and easiest to use afterward, but keep in mind that if the program crashes unexpectedly, the file could get corrupted. Formats like MKV or MOV are more stable in that regard. The ideal “Encoder” is usually your graphics card’s hardware (NVENC for NVIDIA, AMF for AMD, or Apple Video Toolbox for Mac).

Optimizing Settings for Games

The OBS settings for games is the critical step to achieving smooth, high-definition video without affecting your game’s performance. We return to the “Output” tab in Settings, in Advanced mode. Within the “Recording” tab, adjust the “Bitrate”. For high-quality recordings, a bitrate between 20,000 and 50,000 Kbps is recommended. Games with lots of fast movement (like shooters) will need a higher bitrate to avoid visual artifacts.

Another key adjustment is the “Frame Rate” or FPS. Set it to 60 FPS for smooth, professional video, or 30 FPS if your computer is less powerful and you prioritize stable in-game performance. The “Video” tab also plays a role here. The scaling “Filter” should be “Lanczos” (sharper) to ensure the best visual quality in the final recording of your game screen.

Capturing the Game Screen Correctly

OBS works through “Sources”. To capture your game, you need to add a source that tells the program exactly what you want to record. In the main OBS window, in the “Sources” section, click the ‘+’ sign and select “Game Capture”. Give it a name (for example, “Valorant Game”) and click “OK”. A new properties window will open.

In the “Mode” setting, the most effective option is to select “Capture any fullscreen application”. This mode is ideal because it automatically detects your game when you open it in fullscreen, preventing it from accidentally capturing your desktop or other windows. Then, in “Window”, you can select the specific game from a dropdown list once you’ve launched it. This method of game screen capture is much more efficient than recording your entire desktop, as it dedicates all resources to the game window, improving performance.

Adding Audio and Microphone to Your Recording

A recording is nothing without good audio. OBS manages audio through the “Audio Mixer”. By default, it should capture your desktop audio (the game sound). Verify that the “Desktop Audio” bar moves when there’s sound. If not, go to “Settings” > “Audio” and make sure your main output device is selected under “Global Audio Devices”.

To add your voice and commentate on the gameplay, you need to capture your microphone. In the “Audio Mixer”, click the gear icon in the “Mic/Auxiliary” section and select “Properties”. Here you can choose your microphone from the list. It’s very important to adjust the audio levels: the game should be the loudest sound and your voice slightly below, but always clear. You can use filters like the compressor or limiter (by clicking the gear icon > Filters) to improve your voice quality and prevent volume spikes.

Advanced Settings for the Best Video Quality

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can squeeze the maximum potential out of OBS with some advanced settings. A powerful concept is “encoding profiles”. In “Settings” > “Output” (Advanced Mode), within “Recording”, you can set the “Profile” to “high” and the “Level” to “5.2” for superior compression quality. There’s also the “CQ Level” option if you use the NVENC encoder, which allows for constant quality; a value between 15 and 23 is a good starting point (the lower the number, the higher the quality and the larger the file size).

High-definition game screen recording also depends on a consistent frame rate. To achieve this, in the same tab, check the “Enable Variable Frame Rate” box. This prioritizes the clarity of each frame over speed consistency, which can result in a better-looking video, especially in very demanding scenes.

Troubleshooting Common Recording Issues

Sometimes things don’t go as planned. One of the most frequent problems is the game looking laggy in the recording but not when playing it. This is usually because the computer doesn’t have enough resources. The solution is to lower the graphics settings in the game or reduce the bitrate and resolution in OBS. Also make sure that OBS is running on the same graphics card as the game.

Another common problem is the “black screen” when using game capture. This is often a conflict between OBS capture and the graphics card software. An effective solution is to run OBS as administrator (right-click > Run as administrator). This gives it the necessary priority to capture the image correctly. Forcing borderless windowed mode in the game can also fix this issue of how to record your game screen with OBS Studio without problems.

Sharing and Exporting Your Recordings Efficiently

Once you’ve finished recording your gameplay, the file will be saved in the folder you specified in the settings. The final file is likely to be quite large, especially if you recorded at high quality and bitrate. To share it on platforms like YouTube, Twitter, or with friends via messaging, you’ll often need to reduce its size or convert it to a more suitable format.

Although OBS allows you to record directly in formats like MP4, sometimes you need third-party tools for more aggressive compression without an obvious loss of quality. Free, open-source tools like HandBrake are excellent for this purpose. HandBrake lets you compress your videos by applying modern, efficient codecs, drastically reducing the file size while maintaining more than acceptable visual quality for online distribution. You can download it from its official site, handbrake.fr.

The process is simple: open HandBrake, drag in your OBS-recorded video, choose a quick preset like “YouTube 1080p” or similar, and start encoding. The result will be a much more manageable file that preserves the essence of your recording. To upload it to YouTube, for example, this compression step can save you hours of upload time.

Recommended Practices and Final Tips

Mastering how to record your gameplay screen with OBS Studio is a process that is perfected with practice. Beyond the technical setup, there are workflow tips that can greatly improve your experience. A fundamental habit is to always do a test recording of one or two minutes before starting a long session. Play a quick match and review the file to confirm that the audio (game and microphone) sounds good and that the image is smooth and sharp.

Organize your scenes and sources within OBS. You can create a specific scene for each game you usually record, with its game capture and audio sources already configured. This saves you from having to set everything up from scratch every time. Also, name your sources clearly and descriptively (e.g., “Capture – Cyberpunk 2077,” “Blue Yeti Microphone”) instead of leaving them with the generic name OBS assigns them. This meticulous organization saves time and prevents errors during recording.

Finally, keep both OBS Studio and your graphics card drivers up to date. The OBS developers release updates regularly that optimize performance, add new features, and patch bugs. The same goes for NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel with their drivers; they often include specific improvements for their hardware encoders (NVENC, AMF), which translates directly into better recording quality and less impact on your game’s performance.