OBS Studio System Requirements
Last updated: September 1, 2026
OBS Studio runs on modest hardware for simple capture and scales up with what you give it. The figures below describe what the current Windows release expects.
Operating system
- Windows 10 (64-bit) or Windows 11.
- DirectX 11 capable graphics.
- An up-to-date GPU driver — outdated drivers are a frequent cause of black captures.
Older Windows releases are not supported by current versions. Archived builds for legacy systems are still listed in the project's release history, but they do not receive fixes.
Practical hardware guidance
- Light use (1080p30 desktop recording, hardware encoder): a recent quad-core CPU and any DirectX 11 GPU.
- Gaming at 1080p60: a six-core CPU or better, plus NVENC, AMF or Quick Sync so the game keeps the CPU.
- x264 software encoding at 1080p60: eight or more cores if the same machine is also running the game.
- Memory: 8 GB works, 16 GB is comfortable once a browser and a game are open alongside.
Storage
Recording is a sustained sequential write. An SSD handles it comfortably; a slow external drive shared with the game can cause stutter. Budget roughly 9 GB per hour at 1080p60 and 20,000 kbps, less at lower bitrates.
Checking your own machine
The quickest test is empirical: install from the Windows download page, record two minutes at the settings you plan to use and check the statistics dock for skipped or lagged frames. If numbers climb, the CPU usage guide lists what to lower first.