Finding OBS recording file size too big? Check this guide about how to make OBS recordings take less space while keeping the video quality balanced.
Have you ever recorded a 10-minute gameplay or tutorial with OBS and ended up with a video file over 5GB? You're not alone. Many users on Reddit, YouTube, and OBS forums complain about massive recording sizes that eat up disk space quickly. If you're wondering how to make OBS recordings take less space, this guide is for you. We'll walk you through every setting that affects file size and show you the best OBS settings for low end pc and high-end devices.
OBS Studio gives you full control over recording settings. However, this flexibility can result in huge video files if not optimized. File size is mainly influenced by output resolution, bitrate, frame rate, encoder, and recording format. If you're recording at high resolution (e.g. 4K), high bitrate, and lossless quality, the file size can balloon very quickly.
But don't worry. With a few simple tweaks, you can learn how to record high quality video with low size. Let's explore how.
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
Below are 7 proven ways to reduce OBS video size. Try them individually or combine for the best results.
What is it? Output resolution refers to the final video dimensions, like 1920x1080 (Full HD - 1080p), 1280x720 (HD - 720p), or 4096x2160 (UHD - 4K).
Why it matters: Higher resolution = more pixels = larger file size.
Recommended values:
🚩How to change resolution in OBS:
Step 1. Go to Settings > Video.
Step 2. Under Output (Scaled) Resolution, select your target resolution (e.g. 1280x720).
Step 3. Click Apply.
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
What is it? Frame rate means how many frames per second (fps) your video captures.
Why it matters: Higher fps gives smoother video but creates larger files.
Recommended values:
🚩How to change the fps value in OBS:
Step 1. Go to Settings > Video.
Step 2. Adjust Common FPS Values to 30 or 60
Step 3. Click Apply.
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
What is it? OBS lets you save recordings in formats like MP4, MKV, FLV, MOV, TS, and M3U8.
Why it matters: Some formats offer better compatibility, compression, or stability.
Recommended values:
🚩How to change recording format in OBS:
Step 1. Go to Settings > Output > Recording.
Step 2. Change Recording Format to MKV or MP4 based on your needs.
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
What is it? OBS allows you to choose from different video encoders, which compress the video data while recording.
Why it matters: Hardware encoders (like NVENC, QuickSync, or AMF) offload encoding to your GPU or CPU's integrated graphics, resulting in smaller file sizes with less system impact compared to software encoders like x264.
Recommended values:
🚩How to change Encoders in OBS:
Step 1. Go to Settings > Output.
Step 2. Set Output Mode to Advanced.
Step 3. Go to the Recording tab.
Step 4. In Encoder, select NVENC (new), QuickSync, or AMF, depending on your hardware
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
What is it? Bitrate is the amount of data written per second of video (kbps or Mbps).
Why it matters: Higher bitrate = better quality but larger files.
Recommended values:
🚩How to change video bitrate in OBS Studio:
Step 1. Go to Settings > Output.
Step 2. Set Output Mode to Advanced.
Step 3. Go to the Recording tab.
Step 4. Change the value of Video Bitrate.
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
Compressing OBS recordings is a straightforward option to reduce the video file size.
HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoder that compresses video files without significant quality loss. While it's not integrated inside OBS Studio, you can use HandBrake after recording in OBS to reduce video size. This is ideal if your OBS files are too large, especially when recorded in high resolution or high bitrate.
HandBrake can:
🚩How to use HandBrake to compress OBS recordings:
Step 1. Visit https://handbrake.fr/, download for your OS (Windows/macOS/Linux), install, and launch HandBrake.
Step 2. Click File > Open Source or drag and drop the OBS video file into HandBrake. Wait for HandBrake to scan the file and display video details.
Step 3. In the Save As section at the bottom, click Browse to set a destination folder and name the output file. Set Format to MP4 (recommended for compression + compatibility).
Step 4. On the right-hand Presets panel, pick:
Step 5. Go to the Video tab:
Step 6. (Optional) Go to the Audio tab, choose AAC codec, and set bitrate to 128 kbps (sufficient for voiceovers/tutorials).
Step 7. Click Start Encode (green play button at top). Wait for the progress bar to finish.
Step 8. To compare results, open your output folder and compare the original OBS file vs. the compressed version:
🚩Tips for Best Results
Scenario | Recommended Setting |
YouTube uploads | MP4, H.264, Fast 1080p30 |
Archiving | MKV, H.265, HQ 1080p30 |
Low-end PC | 720p, H.264, Very Fast preset |
Voice-only content | Audio bitrate 96–128 kbps |
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
If you're tired of tweaking complex OBS settings and want a tool that just works, try EaseUS RecExperts.
Why EaseUS RecExperts?
Best For:
👉Download EaseUS RecExperts to record smaller videos without quality loss.
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
Now, you have a general understanding about how to make OBS recordings take less space. Reducing OBS recording size doesn't mean sacrificing video quality. By adjusting settings like resolution, bitrate, and encoder, you can keep file sizes small and manageable. Here's a summary table for quick reference:
Setting | Recommendation | Size Impact |
Output Resolution | 1280x720 or 1920x1080 | High |
Frame Rate | 30 fps | Medium |
Recording Format | MKV / MP4 | Low |
Encoder | NVENC or QuickSync | High |
Bitrate | 5000-8000 kbps | Very High |
Post-Compression | HandBrake | High |
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
Still have questions about video size in OBS? Here's what most users ask:
You're likely recording in high resolution (4K), high bitrate (20,000+ kbps), or lossless quality. Lower these settings to reduce file size.
A range of 5000 to 8000 kbps strikes a good balance between quality and file size.
Yes, use tools like HandBrake with settings like H.265 and medium quality to reduce size with minimal loss.
Not directly. MKV is more stable and prevents file corruption. MP4 is better for compatibility and may slightly reduce file size due to its compression. Overall, size depends more on bitrate.
Yes! Try EaseUS RecExperts. It auto-optimizes file size, resolution, and format to save storage.
Share this post to help more OBS users save storage space!
Related Articles
5 Useful Methods to Fix OBS Desktop Audio Not Working
Super Easy | How to Fix OBS Stuttering When Recording
How to Fix Xbox Game Bar Video Capture Button Greyed Out in Windows 11/10: 5 Tested Fixes
Photo Booth Freezes When Recording Video? 6 Workable Solutions