How to Change Resolution in OBS Studio

This guide provides a straightforward, step-by-step walkthrough on how to change both the Base (Canvas) Resolution and the Output (Scaled) Resolution in OBS Studio. Understanding and configuring these two settings is essential for optimizing your stream layout, maintaining high video quality, and reducing the performance load on your computer.

Understanding Base vs. Output Resolution

Before changing the settings, it is important to understand what each resolution control does:

• Base (Canvas) Resolution: This is the size of your virtual workspace in OBS. It should match the resolution of your primary monitor or the game you are capturing (typically 1920x1080 for 1080p).
• Output (Scaled) Resolution: This is the final resolution of the video that is streamed to platforms like Twitch and YouTube, or saved to your hard drive. If this is lower than your Base resolution, OBS will shrink (downscale) the video to save bandwidth and processing power.

Steps to Change the Resolutions

To adjust these settings, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings: Launch OBS Studio. In the bottom-right corner of the screen, click on the Settings button (or go to File > Settings in the top menu).
2. Navigate to Video: In the Settings window, click on the Video tab in the left-hand sidebar.
3. Set Base (Canvas) Resolution: Click the dropdown menu next to Base (Canvas) Resolution. Select your desired resolution, or manually type it in (e.g., 1920x1080).
4. Set Output (Scaled) Resolution: Click the dropdown menu next to Output (Scaled) Resolution. Select the resolution you want to stream or record in (e.g., 1280x720 for a 720p stream).
5. Select a Downscale Filter: If your Output resolution is lower than your Base resolution, choose a Downscale Filter. Bicubic is a good balanced option, while Lanczos offers the sharpest quality at the cost of slightly more CPU/GPU usage.
6. Apply Changes: Click Apply in the bottom-right corner, then click OK to close the settings window.