How to Configure OBS Studio for Local Recording

Setting up a secondary profile in OBS Studio allows you to switch between streaming and high-quality local recording configurations without losing your original settings. While streaming requires a constant, highly compressed bitrate to accommodate network bandwidth, local recording allows you to utilize your computer’s hardware to capture visually lossless, high-bitrate footage. This guide will walk you through creating a dedicated recording profile and configuring the optimal settings for high-performance offline video capture.

Step 1: Create a New Profile in OBS Studio

OBS Studio separates your visual layouts (scenes and sources) from your technical parameters (bitrate, encoder, and resolution). Layouts are saved in “Scene Collections,” while technical settings are saved in “Profiles.”

  1. Open OBS Studio.
  2. Click on Profile in the top menu bar.
  3. Select New from the dropdown menu.
  4. Name the new profile (e.g., “High-Bitrate Recording”) and click OK.
  5. If the Auto-Configuration Wizard pops up, close it. You will configure these settings manually for the best results.

Step 2: Configure Advanced Output Settings

To unlock high-bitrate options, you need to change your output mode from Simple to Advanced.

  1. Click on Settings in the bottom-right corner of OBS.
  2. Select the Output tab from the left-hand menu.
  3. Change the Output Mode dropdown at the top from Simple to Advanced.
  4. Click on the Recording tab (do not use the Streaming tab for these settings).

Step 3: Select the Best Recording Format and Encoder

For local recording, your choice of encoder and file container dictates both video quality and system performance.

  1. Type: Keep this set to Standard.
  2. Recording Path: Choose a fast storage drive (preferably an SSD) to handle high-write speeds.
  3. Recording Format: Select mkv or fragmented mp4. Avoid standard mp4 because if OBS or your PC crashes during recording, standard MP4 files will corrupt and become unrecoverable. MKV files can easily be converted (remuxed) to MP4 later within OBS via File > Remux Recordings.
  4. Video Encoder:
    • NVIDIA NVENC (H.264 or HEVC/H.265): Use this if you have an NVIDIA graphics card. It handles encoding on a dedicated chip, resulting in zero impact on game performance.
    • AMD HW (H.264 or HEVC): Use this if you have an AMD graphics card.
    • SVT-AV1 or AOM-AV1: Use this if you have modern hardware (like NVIDIA RTX 40-series, AMD RX 7000-series, or Intel Arc) that supports AV1 hardware encoding. AV1 offers superior quality at lower file sizes.
    • x264: Only use this CPU-based encoder if you have a powerful, dedicated secondary streaming/recording PC.

Step 4: Optimize Rate Control and Bitrate

Instead of Constant Bitrate (CBR), which is designed for streaming, local recording should use a quality-based rate control method. This ensures that static scenes use very little data, while fast-motion scenes automatically receive the high bitrate required to prevent pixelation.

  1. Rate Control: Change this to CQP (Constant QP) or CRF (Constant Rate Factor, if using x264).
  2. CQ Level / CRF: Set this between 15 and 23.
    • 15 to 18: Visually lossless quality. This produces large files but flawless videos.
    • 20 to 23: An excellent balance of high quality and manageable file sizes.
    • Note: Lower numbers increase quality and file size; higher numbers decrease quality and file size.
  3. Keyframe Interval: Set this to 2s (2 seconds).
  4. Preset: Set this to P5: Slow (Good Quality) or P6: Slower (Better Quality) for NVIDIA. If you experience lagged frames, drop this to P4: Medium.
  5. Tuning: Set to High Quality.
  6. Multipass Mode: Set to Two Passes (Quarter Resolution).
  7. Profile: Set to high.

Step 5: Adjust Video and Audio Resolutions

To ensure your recording matches your gameplay or desktop monitor resolution:

  1. Navigate to the Video tab in the Settings menu.
  2. Set Base (Canvas) Resolution to your monitor’s native resolution (e.g., 1920x1080 or 2560x1440).
  3. Set Output (Scaled) Resolution to match your Base Resolution. Downscaling is unnecessary for local recordings.
  4. Set Common FPS Values to 60 for smooth motion capture.
  5. Navigate to the Audio tab, go to the Output section, and ensure your recording tracks are set to 320 Kbps for maximum audio fidelity.

Click Apply and then OK to save your settings. You can now toggle between your streaming profile and your local recording profile instantly via the Profile menu in the top toolbar.