How to Fix Laggy OBS? 10 Solutions and Best Alternative

You always poured your heart into setting up the perfect OBS stream, but this time, you only met a laggy OBS. These frustrating moments, such as gameplay stutters, your voice cuts out, etc., can affect your viewers. How can you fix laggy OBS, then? The good news is that OBS lag is not an unsolvable problem; whether caused by wrong settings, outdated drivers, etc., this post unleashes the ten fixes for your ‘OBS is lagging’ issue. Get back on track immediately!

5 Causes That Explaining Why OBS Laggy

OBS Studio is a fantastic tool for streamers and content creators, but it can sometimes be frustrating. So, before boiling down to the ten solutions to fix laggy OBS, explore first the five common causes of OBS lag:

• Insufficient System Resources. If your computer system is overloaded, things are going to be messy. Since OBS needs processing power to encode video and audio, if the CPU, RAM, and GPU are struggling, OBS lag when playing games and streaming will happen.

• Network Problems. Not only does your computer need to process the stream, but it also has to send it to your audience. A slow connection can lead to lag and drop frames.

• Incorrect OBS Settings. The free and open-source program is highly customizable; you might have chosen the wrong settings that put a strain on your system and resulted in lag.

• Outdated OBS and Drivers. Like any software, OBS and drivers must be updated. Older versions include bugs and compatibility issues that cause performance issues, such as lagging.

• Software Conflicts. Most of the time, running programs in the background can interfere with streaming in OBS. They can be resource-intensive and cause conflicts.

How to Fix OBS Lag and Dropped Frames

While laggy OBS can be frustrating, there are many solutions to explore for smoother streaming. After those five common culprits that caused the performance issue, dive now into some effective ways to make OBS run smoother:

Fix 1. Lower the Output Resolution

Reducing the resolution can lessen the load on your system, which may prevent the lagging issue.

Fix 2. Adjust the Frame Rate

Dropping the frame rate can also significantly help make OBS less laggy, reducing the amount of data being processed.

Fix 3. Switch to Hardware Encoding

Doing so will free up CPU resources and improve performance, so if available, use hardware encoding instead.

Fix 4. Use Game Capture

To capture gameplay, optimize Game Capture instead of Video Capture as it works more efficiently than capturing the entire display.

Fix 5. Change Bitrate Settings

Having a high bitrate can cause OBS rendering lag, especially if your connection is not fast enough. Lowering it can help.

Fix 6. Update OBS and Drivers

Outdated software and drivers will cause issues, so you must keep everything updated to ensure better compatibility and performance.

Fix 7. Close Unnecessary Programs

Running programs can consume system resources, resulting in an ‘OBS is lagging’ issue; close any apps you don’t need.

Fix 8. Optimize Your Internet Connection

A poor network causes drop frames, so ensure you’re using a stable and fast connection that can work effectively with OBS streams and recordings.

Fix 9. Restart OBS

Probably the simplest solution, if you’re having a laggy OBS program, is to restart the program itself. Sometimes, doing so can remove minor glitches that cause the lag.

Fix 10. Reduce Game Graphics Settings

Most of the time, having demanding apps or games on high settings can overload your system; try lowering game graphics to improve the OBS stream.

Comparison Table for 10 Solutions to Fix Laggy OBS

To help you better compare the different solutions, here’s a brief comparison table summarizing the ways to fix laggy OBS:

OBS Still Lags? Get a Better OBS Alternative

If you’re struggling with laggy OBS and looking for a more efficient and friendly alternative, AnyRec Screen Recorder can be your excellent choice! Unlike OBS, this no lag screen recorder is designed to provide a more streamlined experience, lessening common issues like lag, dropped frames, and glitches. It offers screen recording with system audio, mic input, and even a webcam, making it perfect for various recording tasks. Also, it efficiently uses your GPU and CPU, ensuring a smooth operation even if you’re working on a lower-end system. Get to know more about this all-in-one solution to produce professional-level recordings without answering the ‘how to fix laggy OBS’ question.

Step 1.First, open the AnyRec Screen Recorder on your computer. Once it is up and running, stay on the "Video Recorder" window. From there, choose "Full" or "Custom" area, or drag the frame to your preferred size.

Step 2.Head over to "Settings" and choose "Output" to fine-tune the format, quality, and other output settings that suit your preferences. Set the frame rate to 60 fps to fix the laggy issue on OBS Studio easily.

Step 3.Once everything is configured, click the "REC" to begin recording. While doing so, you can annotate directly on the screen via the floating toolbar. It’s also an excellent tool to record gameplay smoothly.

Step 4.When finished, click the "Stop" button to end the session. You’ll be taken to the preview window, where you can review the footage. If any trims are needed, you can quickly do that here. Click the "Save" to store the recording in the format and path you choose.

Tips to Make OBS Run Smoother

Now that you know how to fix laggy OBS, make it run smoother, and improve its performance, you can apply some helpful tips here. Before concluding this post, here are a few essential tips to make OBS run more efficiently:

• Use Scene Collections. Scene collections permit you to organize your scene and sources more efficiently. Instead of adding new ones every time, you can create several collections for different tasks or stream setups. This reduces the possibility of OBS lag or errors when switching between scenes.

• Enable Game Capture Over Window Capture. Using Game Capture captures the direct game output. At the same time, Window Capture uses the entire window, which sometimes results in more resource usage and slower performance.

• Utilize Multi-Threaded Optimization. Lastly, OBS can use multi-threading to enhance performance by spreading the workload across several CPU cores. Doing so will improve the OBS process and help handle tasks more efficiently.

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