OBS Capture Specific Monitor Fullscreen Game

Capturing an exclusive fullscreen game on a specific monitor in OBS Studio can be challenging due to how Windows manages graphics rendering. This guide provides a direct, step-by-step walkthrough of the two best methods to capture your gameplay: using the high-performance Game Capture source, or targeting a specific screen using the Display Capture source.

Method 1: Using Game Capture (Recommended)

Game Capture is the most efficient method because it hooks directly into the game’s graphics pipeline, bypassing the desktop window manager. It automatically captures the game regardless of which monitor it is running on.

1. Launch your game and ensure it is running.
2. Open OBS Studio.
3. In the Sources dock at the bottom of the screen, click the + (Add) icon.
4. Select Game Capture from the list, name the source, and click OK.
5. In the Properties window, change the Mode dropdown to Capture specific window.
6. In the Window dropdown, select the executable file of your active game.
7. Click OK.

Note: If the game does not appear immediately, try running OBS Studio as an administrator.

Method 2: Using Display Capture for a Specific Monitor

If Game Capture displays a black screen or if you want to capture the entire monitor where the game is displayed, you can use Display Capture.

1. Open OBS Studio.
2. In the Sources dock, click the + (Add) icon and select Display Capture.
3. Name the source and click OK.
4. In the Properties window, open the Display dropdown menu.
5. Select the specific monitor (e.g., “Display 1” or “Display 2”) where your fullscreen game is running.
6. Click OK.

Important: Many exclusive fullscreen games will output a black screen when using Display Capture. To resolve this, open your game’s video settings and change the display mode from Exclusive Fullscreen to Borderless Windowed or Windowed Fullscreen.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Run OBS as Administrator: Right-click the OBS Studio shortcut and select Run as administrator. This grants OBS the necessary permissions to hook into fullscreen applications.
• Disable Third-Party Overlays: Overlays from Discord, GeForce Experience, or Steam can conflict with OBS capture hooks. Disable them if you experience black screens.
• Match GPU Settings: If you are using a laptop with dual graphics cards (integrated and discrete), ensure both OBS Studio and your game are configured to run on the same high-performance graphics card in your Windows Graphics Settings.