how to capture game audio in obs

Daniel Parker

3 min read

·

24-01-2025

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OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) is a powerful and free tool for recording and streaming video. But getting your game audio to sound crisp and clear can be tricky. This guide will walk you through several methods for capturing game audio in OBS, ensuring your streams and recordings sound professional. We'll cover the basics and some more advanced techniques.

Understanding Your Audio Sources

Before diving into OBS settings, understand where your game audio comes from. Most games output audio through your computer's default sound device. This is often your integrated sound card or a dedicated sound card. However, some games have their own separate audio outputs or use virtual audio cables.

Identifying Your Game's Audio Output

• Check your game's settings: Many games have audio settings that control where the sound is sent. Look for options related to sound devices, output, or speakers.
• Listen carefully: Try identifying if the game audio is playing through your headphones, speakers, or both. This helps pinpoint the source.

Methods for Capturing Game Audio in OBS

OBS offers several ways to capture game audio, each with its pros and cons. We'll explore the most common methods.

1. Desktop Audio

This is the simplest method and often works well for most games. It captures all audio from your computer, including game sounds, system notifications, and other applications.

How to set it up:

1. In OBS, go to the "Sources" panel and click the "+" button.
2. Select "Audio Input Capture".
3. Give it a descriptive name like "Desktop Audio".
4. Ensure the "Device" dropdown is set to your default sound output device. This is usually labeled something like "Speakers" or "Headphones".

Pros: Easy to set up. Cons: Captures all audio from your computer. Background noise and other applications will be recorded.

2. Specific Application Audio (Advanced)

This more advanced method lets you capture audio only from your game, ignoring other applications and system sounds. This requires your game to be running in a windowed mode or borderless windowed mode.

How to set it up:

1. In OBS, go to the "Sources" panel and click the "+".
2. Select "Audio Input Capture".
3. Give it a name like "Game Audio".
4. Click the "Advanced Audio Properties" button (usually a small gear icon).
5. Select "Monitor and Capture" and then choose the specific game executable from the list.

Pros: Isolates game audio, reducing unwanted noise. Cons: Requires identifying the correct executable, might not work with all games or full-screen games.

3. Using a Virtual Audio Cable (Advanced)

Virtual audio cables like VoiceMeeter Banana (free) create virtual audio devices. You route your game audio to this virtual cable, and then capture that cable's audio within OBS. This provides the most control and allows advanced audio mixing.

How to set it up:

This is more complex and requires configuring VoiceMeeter first. You'll need to route your game's audio to a specific VoiceMeeter output, and then add that output as an audio source in OBS. There are many tutorials available online for specific configurations.

Pros: Provides maximum control and allows advanced audio mixing. Cons: More complex setup.

Troubleshooting Common Audio Problems

• No sound: Double-check your device selection in OBS and ensure your game's audio is properly configured. Restart OBS and your game.
• Low volume: Adjust the volume sliders in OBS and your game's audio settings.
• Echo or feedback: This usually happens when you're capturing desktop audio and your microphone is also picking up the sound from your speakers. Adjust microphone levels or try using a virtual audio cable.
• Static or crackling: This can indicate a problem with your sound card drivers or audio cables.

Optimizing Your Audio Settings in OBS

• Monitor and Output: In OBS's audio settings, you can choose to monitor your audio sources. This lets you hear what you're recording. But avoid monitoring your output as it can cause feedback.
• Advanced Audio Properties: Explore these to fine-tune settings such as sample rate and buffer size for optimal quality.

By understanding these methods and troubleshooting techniques, you can effectively capture game audio in OBS, ensuring your streams and recordings sound their best. Remember, practice and experimentation are key to mastering OBS's audio features.