Install OBS Studio on Windows x64

Install with the winget command

OBS Studio is a Windows x64 recorder and live production app from OBS Project. The maintained package id in Windows Package Manager is OBSProject.OBSStudio. The command the guides paste is:

winget install -e --id OBSProject.OBSStudio

That identifier sits in microsoft/winget-pkgs under manifests/o/OBSProject/OBSStudio. Installer type is Nullsoft. Scope is machine. Installer URLs on that manifest are GitHub Releases files matching OBS-Studio-*-Windows-x64-Installer.exe. Default install location is %ProgramFiles%\obs-studio. Publisher on the locale yaml is OBS Project. License is GPL-2.0. PackageUrl points at obsproject.com. Related notes: how to install winget, winget command, and obs studio for this computer.

Do not substitute a random package that only resembles the name. The exact id is OBSProject.OBSStudio. README on obsproject/obs-studio points at obsproject.com rather than printing this winget line. The id is still the catalog line of record.

What Windows needs first

Winget ships with App Installer on Windows 10 version 1809 or later and on Windows 11. If winget is missing from Windows Terminal or PowerShell, install App Installer from Microsoft, reopen the terminal, and run the command again. Microsoft documents the client here: winget.

the guides map Windows x64. After a machine-scope setup, look in %ProgramFiles%\obs-studio. The portable zip on the same GitHub tag runs bin/64bit/obs64.exe from the extracted folder. Chooser: portable zip or setup.

If the installer finishes and no window appears, confirm you launched the Start menu shortcut for OBS Studio, then confirm the Program Files folder exists. A portable extract in Downloads is a second copy, not the winget install.

GitHub x64 installer as the other path

If you prefer a file from GitHub Releases, take the Windows x64 Nullsoft installer whose name matches OBS-Studio-*-Windows-x64-Installer.exe. That is the exe winget already wraps. Latest/download URLs on GitHub omit the tag. Public copy still says the current release. Do not pin a number from a blog.

Portable alt on the same tag is OBS-Studio-*-Windows-x64.zip. Current assets live on obs studio releases. A safe download walkthrough is on download obs studio safely. Repo tree: obs studio on GitHub. Official site: obsproject.com. Files still come from GitHub Releases, winget, or links from that site.

ARM64 zip, macOS dmg, and Ubuntu deb files can sit on the same tag. They are supporting mention only. Skip *-PDBs.zip and source archives as the daily install.

Which file to take

Open the current tag. Skip GitHub automatic source archives as the daily install.

First run after install

Launch OBS Studio from the Start menu after a setup or winget install, or from obs64.exe inside a portable folder. The Auto-Configuration Wizard can set output defaults on first launch, or later under Tools. You do not need an account. A local recording stays on the PC.

Add a scene, then add a source. Display Capture, Window Capture, and Game Capture (Windows) are the usual first captures. Audio meters live in the mixer. First scene walk: first scene and source. Local file: record locally. NVIDIA encoder: NVENC. Virtual camera: virtual camera.

If two copies run, quit extras. A GitHub exe install plus a portable zip plus a winget install is three copies. Uninstall extras in Apps settings, then keep one.

Updates and uninstall

For the installed build, return to winget or to the current GitHub release. winget upgrade -e --id OBSProject.OBSStudio is the catalog path. Say the current release rather than a pinned tag. Portable zips are replaced by downloading a new archive from Releases and swapping the folder. Installed exe copies follow the winget or Nullsoft channel you used.

To remove the app, use Settings > Apps for winget or the exe, or winget uninstall OBSProject.OBSStudio. For a portable folder, close obs64.exe and delete that folder. Recordings you saved are just files in the folder you chose. Delete those only if you want them gone.

Issues go to obs-studio issues. Help: obsproject.com/help. Wiki: project wiki. License text: COPYING. Official site: obsproject.com.

Common Windows install mistakes

People grab the first search result named after the product and run a helper from a download portal. Stay on obsproject/obs-studio, the current release, winget id OBSProject.OBSStudio, or links from obsproject.com. Safety: is obs studio safe.

Mixing a portable folder with a winget install so two copies sit side by side is the next mistake. Pick one channel. Taking an ARM64 zip on an Intel or AMD x64 PC is the wrong file for this mapped path.

Xbox Game Bar (Win+G) is the built-in clip people leave: switch from Game Bar and move off Game Bar. Streamlabs Desktop is compared on vs Streamlabs. XSplit: vs XSplit. Guide index: guides. Home: obs studio. About: about.

Install steps:

1. Confirm App Installer on Windows 10 1809 or later, or Windows 11, so winget runs in Windows Terminal.
2. Run the official command with id OBSProject.OBSStudio.
3. Or run OBS-Studio-*-Windows-x64-Installer.exe from the current GitHub release if winget is missing.
4. Open OBS Studio from the Start menu, add a capture source, and confirm the canvas fills.