How to change the video output of OBS Virtual Camera

The short answer

In current versions of OBS Studio, you change what the virtual camera sends by clicking the gear icon next to the Start Virtual Camera button in the Controls area. There you pick an output type: Program (the default, meaning whatever is live in OBS), Preview, a single Scene, or a single Source. Click OK, then start or restart the virtual camera. Your call or recording app keeps using the same device, named OBS Virtual Camera, but now receives the output you chose.

Readers searching for this sometimes mean one of two other tasks. Changing the virtual camera's size or shape is a different setting, covered below under resolution. Making a call app use OBS instead of your webcam happens inside that app, not in OBS. Both are covered after the main steps.

What the output options mean

Output type | What the virtual camera shows | When it helps

Program | Whatever is currently live in OBS, including scene switches and transitions | You want callers to see the same thing you would stream or record

Preview | The scene in the Preview pane when Studio Mode is on | You want to send the staging side of Studio Mode rather than the live side

Scene | One chosen scene, no matter which scene is live in OBS | You stream one layout while sending a different, fixed layout to a call

Source | One chosen source, such as a webcam with filters applied, without the rest of the scene | You want only your filtered camera, with no overlays or other scene elements

Before you start

• OBS Studio is installed and opens without errors.
• The scene or source you want to send already exists and looks right in OBS.
• You know which app will receive the video, such as a video-call, meeting or browser app.
• If you see no gear icon beside Start Virtual Camera, your OBS version may predate the output selector. Updating OBS from its official source is the usual fix. Older versions send only the Program output.

Steps to change the virtual camera output

• 1. In OBS, find the Controls dock. By default it sits at the bottom right and contains Start Streaming, Start Recording and Start Virtual Camera.
• 2. Click the gear icon next to Start Virtual Camera. A small window titled Virtual Camera opens.
• 3. Choose the Output Type: Program, Preview, Scene or Source.
• 4. If you chose Scene or Source, pick the specific scene or source from the second menu.
• 5. Click OK.
• 6. If the virtual camera was already running, stop it and start it again so the new choice takes effect. If it was off, click Start Virtual Camera.
• 7. Check that the button now reads Stop Virtual Camera. That confirms the virtual camera is running.

Success check: open the self-view or camera preview in your call app, with OBS Virtual Camera selected as its camera. You should see the scene or source you picked. Switch scenes in OBS to confirm the behavior. With Program selected, the call app follows your switches. With a fixed Scene or Source selected, the call app should keep showing the same thing.

Selecting OBS Virtual Camera in your call app

OBS only makes the virtual camera available. Each app decides which camera it uses. Open the app's video or camera settings and choose OBS Virtual Camera from the camera list. In a browser-based call, the browser may first ask permission to use a camera. You can also change the camera from the browser's site settings or the camera icon in the address bar.

• If OBS Virtual Camera is missing from the list, start the virtual camera in OBS first, then fully close and reopen the call app or browser. Many apps only scan for cameras when they launch.
• On macOS, the first start may ask you to approve a system extension in System Settings. Until you approve it, the virtual camera will not appear to other apps.
• If the app shows a black or blank image, the app can reach the device but is not receiving a picture. Confirm that the virtual camera is running in OBS. Also confirm that the chosen scene or source is not empty or hidden.

Changing the virtual camera's resolution or shape

The virtual camera takes its frame size from OBS's video settings, not from the output-type window. To change it, stop the virtual camera and any stream or recording, open Settings, go to Video, and adjust the Output (Scaled) Resolution. If those fields are greyed out, an output is still running. Most call apps crop, rescale or compress incoming video, so a higher OBS resolution does not guarantee a sharper image for the people you are talking to.

What these checks confirm, and what they leave untested

Seeing the expected picture in your own self-view confirms three things: the app can access the virtual camera, OBS is sending the output you selected, and video is reaching the app on your computer. It does not show what other participants receive. Call quality depends on the app's compression and your connection, and some apps show your self-view mirrored even though others see it unflipped. To check the far end, make a short test call with someone, or join from a second device, and look at what arrives.

The virtual camera carries video only. Audio from OBS does not travel with it, so your call app still uses its own microphone setting. Hearing yourself in OBS's audio meters shows that OBS detects input. It does not show that the call app is using that microphone or that others hear you clearly. Check the microphone selection inside the call app separately.

Gaps in this guide

No verified evidence was available on recommended resolutions, frame rates or other technical targets for particular call apps, so none are suggested here. Menu names and button positions can shift between OBS releases and operating systems. If your screen looks different, look for the virtual camera settings near the Start Virtual Camera control.