Best OBS Settings for Recording Gameplay in 2026 (1080p 60FPS)

You want gameplay footage that looks sharp, runs smooth, and doesn't tank your frame rate. OBS Studio can do all three once the output settings are dialed in. Here is the configuration that gets you clean 1080p 60FPS recordings without guesswork.

Quick-reference settings table

Setting	Recommended value	Why
Output mode	Advanced	Unlocks rate control and encoder options
Base (canvas) resolution	1920x1080	Matches a 1080p capture
Output (scaled) resolution	1920x1080	No downscale = no softness
FPS	60	Smooth motion for fast games
Encoder	NVENC (NVIDIA) / x264 (CPU)	Hardware first if you have it
Rate control	CQP (quality) or CBR	CQP for recording, CBR if you need fixed size
CQP value	18-23	Lower = higher quality, bigger file
CBR bitrate	25,000-50,000 Kbps	If using CBR at 1080p60
Recording format	MKV (remux to MP4)	Crash-safe, then convert for editing

Resolution and frame rate

Record at the resolution you actually play at. For most people that is 1920x1080. Set both your base canvas and your scaled output to 1080p so OBS isn't resizing the image, which would soften it. Use 60 FPS for shooters, racing, and anything with quick motion. Slower, more cinematic content is fine at 30 FPS and produces smaller files.

Encoder: NVENC vs x264

The encoder is the single most important choice.

• NVENC is NVIDIA's dedicated hardware encoder. It lives on a separate part of the GPU, so it records with almost no hit to your game's frame rate. If you have a modern NVIDIA card, use it.
• AMD users have a comparable hardware encoder (AMF/AV1 on newer cards), and Intel Arc GPUs offer QuickSync.
• x264 runs on your CPU. It can produce excellent quality at slower presets, but it competes with the game for CPU time and can cause stutters on anything but a strong processor.

Rule of thumb: use the hardware encoder for gaming. Save x264 for a beefy CPU or when you specifically want its quality tuning.

Rate control: CQP vs CBR

Rate control decides how OBS spends bitrate.

• CQP (Constant Quantization Parameter) targets a consistent visual quality and lets the bitrate float. This is ideal for local recording because simple scenes use less data and busy scenes get more. A CQP of 18-23 looks great; 20 is a solid default.
• CBR (Constant Bitrate) holds the bitrate steady. It is what you want for streaming, and it is fine for recording if you need predictable file sizes. At 1080p60, aim for roughly 25,000-50,000 Kbps.

For pure recording, CQP usually gives the best quality-to-size ratio.

MP4 vs MKV

Record to MKV. If OBS or your PC crashes mid-recording, an MKV file is still usable, whereas an in-progress MP4 can be corrupted and lost. The downside is some editors dislike MKV, so after recording, use OBS's built-in Remux Recordings to convert to MP4. Remuxing is lossless and takes seconds because it just rewraps the existing video.

If crash-safety isn't a concern and you want files ready to edit immediately, recording straight to MP4 is acceptable, just be aware of the risk.

A couple of extras

• Match your encoder preset to your hardware. NVENC's "Quality" or "Max Quality" presets look excellent at little extra cost.
• If files are larger than you'd like, raise the CQP value a point or two before sacrificing resolution.
• Recording to a fast SSD avoids dropped frames from slow disk writes.

Once you've got footage you're proud of, the next step is getting it seen. Trim your clip, then head to the upload page to share it on FragClips. Browse the Explore feed to see what settings other creators are getting great results with, and check the game pages to find your title's community.

Dial in these settings, hit record, and your highlights will look the way they felt. When you've captured something worth sharing, post it on the upload page.