How to Downgrade OBS Studio to an Older Version

Updating OBS Studio can sometimes introduce unexpected bugs, break essential plugins, or cause performance issues with your streaming setup. This guide provides a quick, step-by-step walkthrough on how to safely downgrade OBS Studio to a previous, stable version without losing your highly customized scenes, sources, profiles, or settings.

Step 1: Backup Your OBS Studio Data

Before making any changes, it is vital to back up your configuration files to prevent data loss.

  1. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type %appdata% and press Enter.
  3. Locate the folder named obs-studio.
  4. Copy this folder and paste it into a safe location, such as your Desktop or an external drive. This folder contains all of your profiles, scene collections, and plugin configurations.

Step 2: Download the Older Version of OBS Studio

To ensure system safety, only download previous versions of OBS Studio from the official repository.

  1. Navigate to the official OBS Studio GitHub Releases page.
  2. Scroll through the releases to find the specific version that previously worked well with your setup.
  3. Under the “Assets” section of your chosen version, download the installer compatible with your operating system (typically the .exe installer for Windows).

Step 3: Uninstall the Current Version of OBS Studio

To prevent file conflicts between the different versions, you must uninstall the current version of OBS.

  1. Open the Windows Settings app and go to Apps > Installed apps (or Programs and Features in the Control Panel).
  2. Locate OBS Studio in the list and click Uninstall.
  3. Crucial Step: During the uninstallation process, you will be prompted with a checkbox asking if you want to delete your user settings and configuration files. Make sure this box is unchecked. Leaving it unchecked ensures your scenes and profiles remain on your computer.

Step 4: Install the Downgraded Version

Once the uninstallation is complete, you can install the older version.

  1. Locate the installer file you downloaded in Step 2.
  2. Double-click the file to run the installer.
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation process.

Step 5: Launch and Verify

Open the newly installed, downgraded version of OBS Studio. Your scenes, sources, and profiles should automatically load because your configuration files were kept intact. If any settings are missing, you can copy the contents of the backup folder you created in Step 1 back into the %appdata%\obs-studio directory.