Game capture

OBS Studio Game Capture on Windows — setup & fix guide

Game Capture is the best capture method for games in OBS on Windows. It uses a low-overhead hook to capture the game directly, with less CPU/GPU impact than Display Capture. Add it via Sources + → Game Capture.

Add Game Capture in OBS on Windows

  • 1

    Add Game Capture source

    In OBS Sources panel: click + → Game Capture. Name it and click OK.

  • 2

    Set capture mode

    In Game Capture properties:
    Capture specific window — select your game from the dropdown.
    Capture any fullscreen application — auto-captures whatever is fullscreen.

  • 3

    Launch the game

    Start your game. OBS should automatically detect and capture it. Resize the Game Capture source to fill the OBS canvas.

Fix Game Capture problems

Game Capture shows black screen
GPU mismatch or game running as admin
Run OBS as administrator; set OBS GPU to match game GPU in NVIDIA Control Panel
Game not appearing in window list
Game launched after OBS
Click refresh button in Game Capture properties while game is running
Game Capture not working with Epic/Steam games
Anti-cheat or overlay conflict
Try "Capture specific window" mode; disable conflicting overlays

Game capture questions

Game Capture vs Display Capture — which is better for gaming?

Game Capture is better for games. It has lower performance overhead, captures the game directly (not through the display system) and works in fullscreen exclusive mode. Use Display Capture only when Game Capture does not work (some games, multiple monitors, browser-based games). Window Capture is a third option that works for windowed games.

OBS Game Capture not working with anti-cheat games

Some games with aggressive anti-cheat (EasyAntiCheat, BattlEye) block Game Capture hooks. Workaround: use Display Capture or Window Capture instead. Anti-cheat systems allow screen capture via the standard display system. You lose a small amount of performance vs Game Capture.

Black screen with Game Capture?

Dedicated black screen fix guide.

Black screen fix