Best OBS Recording Settings for High-Quality Video (2026 Guide)

OBS recording settings are completely different from streaming settings. When streaming, you're limited by upload speed and platform bitrate caps. When recording, your only limits are disk space and hardware power — so you can (and should) aim much higher.

This guide covers the optimal OBS recording settings for every use case in 2026.

The Most Important Setting: Separate Recording from Streaming

In OBS, go to Settings → Output → Output Mode: Advanced. This unlocks separate tabs for "Streaming" and "Recording" — letting you use completely different encoders, bitrates, and formats for each.

Recommended Recording Settings

For Gaming (High Quality)

For Tutorials/Screencasts

For Maximum Quality (Archival)

Encoder Selection

NVENC HEVC (Recommended for Most Users)

If you have an NVIDIA GTX 1650+ or any RTX card, NVENC HEVC is the best choice:

• Near-zero performance impact on gaming

• Excellent quality with CQP 18-20

• HEVC produces ~40% smaller files than H.264

• RTX 40-series NVENC rivals x265 medium quality

NVENC AV1 (Best Quality per File Size)

Available on RTX 40-series and newer:

• ~50% smaller files than H.264 at same quality

• Zero performance impact

• Perfect for creators with compatible hardware

• Use CQP 18-20, same as HEVC

x265 (Best Quality, CPU-Intensive)

If you have a powerful CPU (8+ cores) and don't need real-time performance:

• Best quality per bitrate of any encoder

• CRF 18-20 with "medium" or "slow" preset

• Significant CPU usage — may affect gaming performance

• Best used for re-encoding recordings after the fact

x264 (Legacy, Still Good)

Still a solid choice if HEVC isn't available:

• CRF 18-20 with "veryfast" preset for real-time recording

• Higher quality presets (medium, slow) for post-recording re-encoding

• Files will be ~40% larger than HEVC at same quality

Understanding CQP vs CRF vs CBR for Recording

CQP (Constant Quantization Parameter)

Used by GPU encoders (NVENC, AMF, QSV). You set a quality level, and the encoder adjusts bitrate per frame. This is the best choice for NVENC recording.

CRF (Constant Rate Factor)

Used by CPU encoders (x264, x265). Same concept as CQP — quality-targeted variable bitrate. This is the best choice for CPU recording.

CBR (Constant Bitrate)

For a complete explanation, read our CBR vs VBR guide.

Quality Level Guide

Resolution and Scaling

Recording at Native Resolution

Always record at your monitor's native resolution when possible:

• Playing at 1080p? Record at 1080p

• Playing at 1440p? Record at 1440p

• Playing at 4K? Record at 4K (if storage allows)

Downscaling for File Size

If storage is a concern, downscale in OBS:

• 4K → 1440p: Saves ~45% space, minimal quality loss

• 1440p → 1080p: Saves ~55% space, still looks great on YouTube

• Use Lanczos scaling filter (sharpest downscale quality)

Compare file sizes at different resolutions with our Bitrate Calculator.

Audio Settings for Recording

1. Settings → Output → Recording → Audio Tracks: check tracks 1, 2, 3

2. Edit → Advanced Audio Properties → assign sources to different tracks

3. Track 1: All audio (for quick playback), Track 2: Game only, Track 3: Mic only

MKV container supports multiple audio tracks natively — another reason to record in MKV.

File Format: Why MKV First, Then Remux

• Crash safety: If OBS crashes during MP4 recording, the entire file is lost. MKV recovers everything up to the crash point.

• Remuxing is instant: File → Remux Recordings in OBS. No re-encoding, no quality loss, takes seconds.

• Multiple audio tracks: MKV handles multiple tracks better during recording.

Read our full MP4 vs MKV vs MOV comparison for more details.

Storage Planning

Recording eats disk space fast. Here are typical file sizes per hour:

Performance Tips

Recording While Gaming

• Use NVENC (GPU encoder) to avoid CPU overhead

• Set OBS process priority to "Normal" (not High)

• Record to a separate drive from your game (avoids I/O bottleneck)

• Close unnecessary background apps

Recording While Streaming

• Use the "Recording" tab in Advanced Output to set separate encoder settings

• Stream: CBR 6,000 Kbps H.264 (for Twitch)

• Record: CQP 20 HEVC (for high-quality local copy)

• This gives you a much higher quality recording than your stream

Quick Setup Checklist

1. Output Mode → Advanced

2. Recording tab → Encoder: NVENC HEVC (or best available)

3. Rate Control → CQP

4. CQP Level → 20 (adjust to taste)

5. Recording Format → MKV

6. Recording Path → Separate SSD

7. Resolution → Match your display

8. FPS → 60 (30 for screencasts)

9. Audio → 48 kHz, 160 Kbps AAC, separate tracks

10. After recording → Remux to MP4 via File menu

For streaming-specific settings, see our OBS Bitrate Settings Guide.