A basic OBS streaming setup takes about 15 minutes: install OBS Studio, run the Auto-Configuration Wizard, add your game, camera and mic, connect YouTube or Facebook, then click Start Streaming. The setting that matters most is the bitrate, which must fit your upload speed.
Install and auto-configure OBS
- Download OBS Studio free from obsproject.com (Windows, Mac and Linux). Avoid copies from other sites.
- On first launch, the Auto-Configuration Wizard opens (or go to Tools > Auto-Configuration Wizard).
- Choose Optimise for streaming, set the resolution (1920 × 1080 or 1280 × 720) and 30 or 60 FPS.
- Pick your platform, connect your account, and let it run the bandwidth test. It suggests a bitrate and encoder for your connection and computer.
Need the channel requirements first, like YouTube’s 24-hour wait to enable live streaming? They’re in how to stream games on YouTube.
Add game, camera and mic
OBS builds your stream from Scenes (layouts) and Sources (what’s in them). Click + under Sources:
- Game Capture: captures a PC game directly. If it shows black, try Display Capture (whole screen) or Window Capture.
- Video Capture Device: a webcam, or a capture card for PS5, Xbox or Switch.
- Audio Input Capture: your microphone. Game and desktop sound are already in the Audio Mixer as “Desktop Audio”.
Resize the webcam box in the preview, and keep the mic meter out of constant red.
Connect to YouTube or Facebook
YouTube: 1. Settings > Stream, Service: YouTube – RTMPS. 2. Click Connect Account and sign in (easiest), or paste the stream key from YouTube Studio > Create > Go live > Stream. 3. Use Manage Broadcast in OBS to set the title and privacy.
Facebook (very popular for Kenyan gaming groups and churches): 1. Open Live Producer on Facebook, choose Streaming software and copy the stream key. 2. In OBS Settings > Stream, choose Facebook Live and paste the key. 3. Click Start Streaming in OBS, then Go live in Live Producer.
Never share your stream key. Anyone with it can broadcast to your channel; reset it if it leaks.
Bitrate settings for your connection
Run a speed test and note the upload speed, not download. Set the video bitrate to no more than about 70% of your upload, leaving room for game traffic and dips.
| Upload speed | Resolution and FPS | Video bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 Mbps | 720p, 30fps | 2,000–2,500 kbps |
| 5–10 Mbps | 720p 60fps or 1080p 30fps | 3,500–6,000 kbps |
| 10–20 Mbps | 1080p, 60fps | 6,000–9,000 kbps |
In Settings > Output (Output Mode: Advanced):
- Encoder: a hardware encoder (NVIDIA NVENC, AMD or Intel QuickSync) if listed; it keeps the game smooth. Otherwise x264.
- Rate control: CBR. Keyframe interval: 2 seconds.
- Facebook: stay around 4,000–6,000 kbps; very high bitrates can be rejected.
Many home fibre plans upload far slower than they download, and mobile hotspots fluctuate. If the Stats window (View > Stats) shows “dropped frames (network)”, lower the bitrate by 500–1,000 kbps; see also why your internet is slow. For data use per hour, the table in our YouTube streaming guide applies. Streaming tournaments? See esports in Kenya.
Quick answers
Add your sources, connect a platform in Settings > Stream, set a bitrate that fits your upload speed and click Start Streaming.
Settings > Stream, choose YouTube – RTMPS, then Connect Account, or paste the stream key from YouTube Studio’s Go live page.
About 70% of your upload speed or less: roughly 2,500 kbps for 720p on a slow line, 4,000–6,000 kbps for 1080p at 30fps.
