What is a Good Buffer Size for Video Streaming OBS?

What is Buffer Size?

The buffer size in a streaming platform limits the amount of streaming data that can be pre-loaded while a person is watching a video. The streaming data will be split into video and audio buffers when it enters the main buffer. Then, the buffered data will be temporarily saved as a cache on your device.

However, it's not that the bigger the buffer size, the better. Everyone should find the balance between the buffer size and the bitrate when streaming videos. For instance, if your output settings are too low, the video might be pixelated, choppy, or blurry. On the other hand, if the output settings are too high, the video may be too large to share and upload.

What is the Best Buffer Size for Video Streaming in OBS?

If you're streaming using OBS Studio, the best option for OBS video streaming may be the default buffer size. That is to say, you should leave the custom buffer turned off and start streaming directly.

This is because the best buffer size for OBS streaming is not a fixed number. Instead, it's the balance between buffer size and bitrate you need to achieve. As the buffer size set by OBS Studio is the same as the bitrate and can achieve a good balance between quality and latency, you should keep using the default settings.

Final Words

This post explains what the buffer size for video streaming is and suggests the best buffer size for OBS video streaming for you. If you find it helpful, share it with more people to help them, too.