OBS Studio Review: All You Need to Know in 2023❇️

There aren't many computer users who don't know OBS or have no idea what it's for. It's known by pretty much anyone who has ever had to record their screen because it's one of the top suggestions in any list for screen recorders.

Does that make it the best screen recorder ever made? That might still be up for debate for a lot of users. But you cannot deny the quality and prowess of this screen recorder for gaming and streaming. So, you might be questioning about all the things that make it special. That's why this OBS Studio Review is for you.

We will be talking about this open-source software and analyzing all the key traits that it offers. We will also see if it's safe to download to your PC. And we will talk about a brief tutorial that shows how a user can record or stream with it. So without further ado, let's get started with this OBS Studio Review.

What is OBS Studio?

OBS Studio is one of the leading open-source screen recorders available today. It's both open-source and free to use, and it's supported on various operating systems. This includes MacOS as well as Windows and Linux.

OBS Studio can be used for:

• High-quality game and screen capture
• Live streaming support for YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms
• Supporting various inputs and broadcasting them to various outputs
• Capturing various input sources like microphone or webcam

Main Features and Functions

OBS Studio is a feature-rich video and screen recorder. It has many great features that might take you weeks to explore by yourself. It also has a lot of plugins for specific purposes. These plugins can be used for screen recording as well as streaming.  

But to keep it simple, here are some of the leading features offered by OBS Studio:

• Record desktop audio with OBS
• Supports 4K and 8K captures
• Supports capturing screens and specific windows as well as webcams and capture cards
• Record Steam games with OBS
• Ability to add new sources while streaming or duplicate currently used ones
• In-built transitions and animations for videos and streams
• Studio mode to check and preview elements before streaming or uploading
• Multiview option to include various screens and cameras

That's why OBS is the primary recording and streaming choice for a lot of people. Not only because of the intriguing functionalities but also because of the various options and ease that it provides.

OBS Studio Download

Downloading and installing OBS Studio is quite a direct process. This depends on the operating system that your pc might have installed on it. That's why you get to pick the option on the homepage of OBS. For instance, you will click on the Windows download if you are a Windows user.

The same goes for people who are using MacOS or Linux. So they will head to downloading their exclusive files. Here is the process to download and install OBS Studio on your PC/Mac or Linux system:

Step 1: Download the Windows or MacOS/Linux type of OBS Studio from the website.

Step 2: Double-click the OBS studio downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions and click Next.

Step 3: Tap the Install button to begin the installation. After installation, launch OBS Studio after installation.

OBS Studio Tutorial

Using OBS Studio depends entirely on your purpose. Using it for recording and streaming can be straightforward. But you can also configure it for screen recording and streaming separately. There are a few upfront choices you get when you install OBS. Here's the screen you get after installing OBS:

Now the three options you get are:

• Optimize for streaming, recording is secondary
• Optimize just for recording, I will not be streaming
• I will only be using the virtual camera

Now, you should use the second mode if you plan to do both streaming and recording. Use the second mode if you're primarily going to record and rarely stream. And the last mode is only for those who wish to record their camera.

It's suggested that you pick the first mode to ensure that you can record and stream simultaneously should you choose to. So let's say that you need to record a game on OBS. Then there is the process of recording a game through OBS and how to set it up:

Step 1: Click the + icon in the bottom row to add a new source.

Step 2: Tap on Game Capture. Name it whatever you like or leave it as Game Capture and tap OK.

Step 3: Select the option Capture any full-screen application in Mode.

Step 4: Also check Capture Cursor to capture the cursor or crosshair in a game and tap OK.

Step 5: Now start the game or software that you wish to record. Go back to OBS and tap on Start Streaming/Start Recording.

It will begin to Stream or Record as soon as you tap any of the two buttons. It's important to remember that you will have to sign into your Twitch/YouTube account for streaming. But you need to do no such thing for recording.

🍏Check a video tutorial for beginners:

• 00:33 - Auto Configuration
• 00:48 - Canvas and Workspace
• 01:13 - Scenes and Sources
• 05:18 - Recording & Streaming Options
• 06:50 - Studio Mode

OBS Studio Pros, Cons, and Users' Experience

There aren't any tools that may not have their cons. Some would argue that the benefits of OBS outweigh any cons or disadvantages that it might have. But there's a clear disadvantage of OBS that it's simply not for the beginner.

✅Pros:

• High-quality and seamless game recording
• Record multiple screens easily
• Easy hotkeys to swap between recording modes
• Uses input sources quite comprehensively

❌Cons:

• The interface can be a bit difficult, not ideal for a beginner
• Requires plugins for additional tasks

Here is an OBS Studio User Review from Twitter:

i haven't used OBS studio in a couple years, it's gotten 10x more user friendly since then

— yuki (@yukii_39) May 11, 2023

OBS Studio Ratings:

• 4.7/5 (963 users) on Capterra

• 3.7/5 (8 users) on Trustpilot

Is OBS Studio Free?

OBS Studio is free and open source. It's maintained by a community of developers and expert users who regularly add things to it. The overseeing community also releases newer versions every now and then.

While the tool is totally free, the community can contribute by donating on their official website. Other than that, the users won't have to pay anything, and using OBS with all its plugins is absolutely free.

OBS Studio Review FAQs

This section will address your further questions.

1. Can OBS Studio be trusted?

OBS Studio is a widely trusted tool, and it has a vast user base. A lot of major streamers on Twitch and YouTuber gamers use OBS for their recording and streaming. That's why this streaming software can be trusted without any issues.

2. Is there anything better than OBS Studio?

There are a few options that some people might deem better than OBS Studio. One such option is EaseUS RecExperts, as it offers a much simple method of recording and streaming compared to OBS. But it all comes down to the preference of users.

3. Do professionals use OBS?

A lot of professionals and academic people use OBS. People who do live streams on Twitch or YouTube think of OBS as their primary software to do live streams. That's why a lot of mainstream professionals in streaming and recording use OBS.

Conclusion

These are the key features to know about OBS and its main benefits. This article explained the basics and key elements of OBS. And it also discussed how it had been one of the leading streaming and recording software for the past few years.

Besides that, it also showed you how you can use it for basic game recording and streaming. While OBS does have a few drawbacks, it has a lot of features and benefits that outweigh all the issues. This makes it one of the leading and perhaps the best streaming and recording software today.

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