Best OBS Settings for a Smooth Stream (Beginner Guide)

You don't need to be a tech wizard to get a clean stream out of OBS. These starting settings work for most people.

Output at 1080p and 30 or 60 FPS depending on your upload speed. Design your scene on a 1920×1080 canvas — every CozyOverlays pack is full HD, so it fits perfectly.

Use hardware encoding (NVENC/AMD) if you have it to spare your CPU. Pick a bitrate your connection can sustain — smoother beats sharper.

Enable hardware decoding on Media Sources so animated screens never stutter. More on that in our OBS lag fixes.