How to Make OBS Recordings Take Less Space [2025 Guide]

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.

Why Do My OBS Recordings Take Up So Much Space?

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.

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How to Reduce Video Size in OBS Studio [Best Settings]

Below are 7 proven ways to reduce OBS video size. Try them individually or combine for the best results.

1. Lower the Output Resolution

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:

• For basic tutorials or webcams: 1280x720
• For YouTube gameplay: 1920x1080

🚩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.

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2. Reduce Frame Rate

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:

• 30 fps for tutorials, meetings
• 60 fps only if your content involves fast motion (e.g., gameplay)

🚩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.

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3. Choose a Proper Recording Format

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:

• MKV: Ideal for preventing data loss if OBS crashes
• MP4: More widely supported and may result in slightly smaller files due to better compression, but can become corrupted if OBS crashes

🚩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.

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4. Change Video Encoders

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:

• NVIDIA GPU: Use NVIDIA NVENC H.264 (new)
• Intel CPU with integrated graphics: Use Intel QuickSync H.264
• AMD GPU: Use AMD AMF H.264

🚩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

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5. Adjust Bitrate  

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:

• 1080p 30fps: 5000-8000 kbps
• 720p 30fps: 2500-4000 kbps

🚩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.

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6. Compress After Recording 

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:

• Reduce file size by 50–70%
• Convert to MP4 (smaller than MKV)
• Re-encode using more efficient codecs (like H.265)
• Retain decent quality with adjustable settings

🚩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:

• Fast 1080p30 (for balance)
• Very Fast 720p30 (for maximum size reduction)
• HQ 1080p30 (H.265) (best quality/size balance using HEVC)

Step 5. Go to the Video tab:

• Video Codec: H.264 or H.265 (HEVC) - recommended
• Framerate (FPS): Same as source / 30 fps- recommended
• Constant Quality: RF 20–23 (H.264) / RF 24–28 (H.265)- recommended

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:

• Check file size
• Play the video and inspect the quality

🚩Tips for Best Results

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Bonus: Use OBS Alternatives That Save Space by Default

If you're tired of tweaking complex OBS settings and want a tool that just works, try EaseUS RecExperts.

Why EaseUS RecExperts?

• Auto-optimize for small file size
• Record in MP4 by default
• Offer bitrate, resolution, and codec controls in a beginner-friendly UI
• Let you compress videos after recording

Best For:

• Beginners who don't want to mess with OBS settings
• Users on low-storage PCs
• YouTubers who need quick, share-ready recordings

👉Download EaseUS RecExperts to record smaller videos without quality loss.

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Conclusion

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:

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How to Make OBS Recordings Take Less Space FAQs

Still have questions about video size in OBS? Here's what most users ask:

1. Why is my OBS recording over 5 GB for 10 minutes?

You're likely recording in high resolution (4K), high bitrate (20,000+ kbps), or lossless quality. Lower these settings to reduce file size.

2. What's the best bitrate for recording 1080p 30fps?

A range of 5000 to 8000 kbps strikes a good balance between quality and file size.

3. Can I compress existing OBS files without quality loss?

Yes, use tools like HandBrake with settings like H.265 and medium quality to reduce size with minimal loss.

4. Does using MKV instead of MP4 reduce size?

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.

5. Is there a one-click tool to record small-size videos?

Yes! Try EaseUS RecExperts. It auto-optimizes file size, resolution, and format to save storage.

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