How to Use Multiple Webcams in OBS Studio

Yes, you can use multiple webcams simultaneously in a single OBS Studio scene. While OBS fully supports adding multiple video capture sources, doing so successfully requires understanding how to configure them and managing your computer’s USB bandwidth limitations. This guide will walk you through the setup process and explain how to avoid common hardware bottlenecks.

How to Set Up Multiple Webcams in OBS

Setting up more than one camera in your stream layout is a straightforward process:

1. Connect your webcams to your computer’s USB ports.
2. Open OBS Studio.
3. Under the Sources dock, click the plus (+) icon and select Video Capture Device.
4. Name the source (e.g., “Webcam 1” or “Facecam”) and click OK.
5. Select your first webcam from the Device dropdown menu, adjust any necessary settings, and click OK.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for your second webcam, ensuring you select the other camera from the dropdown menu and give it a unique name (e.g., “Webcam 2” or “Desk Cam”).
7. Click and drag the red borders around each webcam source in the preview window to resize and position them side-by-side or in a picture-in-picture layout.

Managing the USB Bandwidth Bottleneck

The most common issue when using multiple webcams is that one camera may display a black screen or freeze. This happens because webcams transmit a massive amount of data, and plugging multiple cameras into the same USB controller can overload its bandwidth limit.

To prevent or fix this issue, follow these steps:

• Use different USB host controllers: Do not plug both webcams into adjacent USB ports, as they likely share the same controller. Instead, plug one webcam into the back of your motherboard and the other into the front panel ports of your PC case.
• Avoid unpowered USB hubs: Unpowered hubs split the power and bandwidth of a single USB port. If you must use a hub, use a high-quality, externally powered USB 3.0 hub.
• Lower your camera resolution: If your cameras are lagging, open the properties of each webcam source in OBS and change the resolution from “Device Default” to “Custom.” Lowering the resolution from 1080p to 720p significantly reduces the required bandwidth while still looking crisp on stream.

Using Two Identical Webcams

If you are using two identical webcams (for example, two Logitech C920s), Windows might struggle to distinguish between them, or the manufacturer’s software might apply the same settings to both. To resolve this, plug them into different USB controller channels. If OBS still has trouble recognizing both, you can use a free utility like OBS Virtual Camera or third-party camera software to route the second webcam into OBS as a separate media source.