Fix OBS Studio Mouse Cursor Offset on Scaled Apps

This article provides a quick guide to resolving the common issue in OBS Studio where the mouse cursor becomes misaligned or offset when capturing a high-DPI or scaled application window. You will learn about the root causes—primarily Windows display scaling and OBS capture methods—and the step-by-step solutions to restore accurate cursor tracking in your streams or recordings.

Method 1: Change the OBS Capture Method

The most common reason for a misaligned cursor is the capture API used by OBS Studio. By default, OBS may use a legacy capture method that does not communicate well with Windows DPI scaling.

  1. Open OBS Studio.
  2. Go to your Sources dock and double-click the problematic Window Capture source to open its properties.
  3. Locate the Capture Method dropdown menu.
  4. Change the setting from Automatic to Windows 10 (1903 and up).
  5. Click OK.

This modern graphics capture API natively supports Windows display scaling and usually fixes the cursor offset immediately.

Method 2: Adjust High DPI Settings for the Scaled App

If changing the capture method does not work, the issue may stem from how Windows scales the specific application you are trying to capture. You can force Windows to handle the application’s scaling differently.

  1. Right-click the shortcut or executable file (.exe) of the app you are capturing, then select Properties.
  2. Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
  3. Click on the Change high DPI settings button at the bottom.
  4. Check the box under High DPI scaling override that says Override high DPI scaling behavior.
  5. Set the Scaling performed by dropdown menu to System or System (Enhanced).
  6. Click OK, then Apply, and restart the application.

Method 3: Change Windows Display Scaling to 100%

If you are using a high-resolution monitor (such as 1440p or 4K), Windows often defaults to a scale of 125%, 150%, or higher. Resetting this to the default 100% eliminates the scaling mismatch entirely.

  1. Right-click on an empty space on your desktop and select Display settings.
  2. Scroll down to the Scale and layout section.
  3. Change the scale dropdown to 100% (Recommended).
  4. Note that this will make text and icons on your screen appear smaller, but it resolves all cursor alignment issues in OBS.

Method 4: Use Display Capture as a Workaround

If the application is highly resistant to Window Capture fixes, using Display Capture is a reliable alternative. Display Capture captures your entire monitor layout and does not suffer from individual window scaling offset issues.

  1. In OBS, go to the Sources dock and click the + icon.
  2. Select Display Capture and click OK.
  3. If you do not want to show your entire desktop, hold the Alt key while dragging the boundary boxes of the source in the OBS preview window to crop out everything except the target application.