OBS as a Screen Recorder
Last updated: September 1, 2026
Plenty of people install Open Broadcaster Software purely to record the screen and never go live at all. Used that way it is a capable, unlimited desktop recorder with no watermark and no clip-length cap.
What it can record
- A full monitor, including multi-monitor setups where each display becomes its own source.
- A single application window, so private tabs and chat notifications stay out of the file.
- Full-screen games through the dedicated game hook.
- Webcams and capture cards, alone or composited over the desktop.
- Browser pages, images, text overlays and countdown timers as extra layers.
How it compares with the Windows built-in recorder
The recorder built into Windows is quick for a single window, but it does not let you mix several sources, control audio tracks, choose an encoder or record indefinitely. OBS handles all of that, at the cost of a short setup. If you only ever need a 30-second clip of one app, the built-in tool is fine; for tutorials, course material, bug reports and long sessions, OBS is the better fit.
Formats and file sizes
MKV is the safest container while recording because a crash or power loss does not destroy the file; OBS can remux it to MP4 afterwards in a couple of seconds. MOV suits Apple-centric editing workflows, and MP4 is the most portable for direct upload.
A 1080p60 recording at 20,000 kbps takes roughly 9 GB per hour. Halving the bitrate roughly halves the size, and for slide-based content 8,000–10,000 kbps is usually indistinguishable.
Getting started
Install the program from the Windows download page, then follow the step-by-step screen recording guide. If you plan to record voice-over, read the desktop-audio section of the settings guide first.
Other Windows screen capture tools
OBS is built around continuous video capture, so it is heavier than it needs to be for a single still image. If your workflow also involves quick screenshots, region captures and scrolling grabs between recordings, a lightweight companion utility saves time. ShareX is an open-source Windows capture tool that covers those tasks and sits alongside OBS rather than replacing it; it is a separate project with no connection to the OBS developers.