How to Set Up OBS Virtual Camera

The short answer

OBS Virtual Camera is a feature built into OBS Studio, the free open-source recording and streaming app. It makes whatever OBS is showing appear to other apps as a webcam. To use it, build a scene in OBS, click Start Virtual Camera in the Controls panel, then choose "OBS Virtual Camera" as the camera in your video-call app or browser. This is a common way to use a DSLR or mirrorless camera as a webcam. Bring the camera into OBS first, through a capture card or the manufacturer's webcam utility, then pass it on through the virtual camera.

One distinction matters before you start. The virtual camera carries video only. Your microphone, or any audio you mix in OBS, does not travel through it. You select your microphone separately in the call app.

Before you start

• OBS Studio installed from its official source. The virtual camera is included, so no separate plugin is needed in current releases.
• A video source to send: a built-in or USB webcam, a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a screen capture, or an image.
• For a DSLR or mirrorless camera, one of two routes: an HDMI capture card plus a camera that can send a clean HDMI signal (no on-screen menus or focus boxes), or the camera maker's own webcam utility, if one exists for your model and operating system. Check your camera's manual or the maker's support pages for which applies.
• On Linux, the v4l2loopback kernel module, which OBS uses to create the virtual device. Some distributions install it with OBS; others need it installed separately.
• On macOS, permission to approve the OBS camera extension in System Settings the first time the virtual camera starts.

Step 1: Add your camera to OBS

• Open OBS Studio. In the Sources panel, click the plus (+) button.
• For a webcam or capture card, choose Video Capture Device (the name may differ slightly by operating system). Name it and click OK.
• In the Device drop-down, pick your webcam or capture card. For a DSLR connected through the maker's webcam utility, the camera usually appears here under that utility's name.
• Click OK.
• Success check: a live, moving image appears in the OBS preview. Wave a hand to confirm the picture is live rather than a frozen frame.

If the preview stays black, another app may be using the camera. Many systems let only one app hold a physical camera at a time, so close any call app or camera app and reselect the device. With a DSLR over HDMI, also check that the camera is switched on and in the correct mode, and that its auto power-off or sleep setting has not shut it down.

Step 2: Frame the shot and set the output size

• Drag the edges of the source in the preview to resize it. Hold Alt (Option on macOS) while dragging an edge to crop it.
• Add anything else you want in the frame, such as an overlay image or text, as additional sources above the camera in the Sources list.
• Open Settings, then Video. The Output (Scaled) Resolution and frame rate set the size and smoothness of the picture the virtual camera sends. Pick values your call app supports and your computer can sustain.
• Success check: the OBS preview looks exactly as you want others to see it, with no black bars or cropped-off head.

Step 3: Start the virtual camera

• In the Controls panel (bottom right by default), click Start Virtual Camera.
• In recent versions, a gear icon next to the button lets you choose what to send: the main program output, a specific scene, or a single source. The default program output suits most people.
• On macOS, if prompted, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and allow the OBS system extension. You may need to restart OBS afterward.
• Success check: the button changes to Stop Virtual Camera. That confirms OBS is publishing the device. It does not yet confirm any other app can see it.

Step 4: Select it in your call app or browser

• Open your video-call app's settings or its camera menu. If OBS Virtual Camera is not listed, fully quit and reopen the app. Many apps only scan for cameras when they launch.
• Choose OBS Virtual Camera as the camera.
• Do not also select the physical camera there. OBS is already using it, and the call app should receive the picture through OBS.
• For browser-based calls, allow camera access when the site asks. If you denied it earlier, open the site's permission settings (usually the icon beside the address bar) and allow the camera. Then pick OBS Virtual Camera in the meeting's device menu.
• Set your microphone separately in the same settings area. The virtual camera does not carry sound.
• Success check: the call app's self-view shows the same image as the OBS preview, including any overlays.

What each check confirms

Check | What it confirms | What it leaves untested

Live image in the OBS preview | OBS can access and capture your camera | Whether other apps can receive the feed

Button reads Stop Virtual Camera | OBS is publishing the virtual device | Whether the call app detects it

OBS Virtual Camera listed in the call app | The app and browser can see and access the device | Whether video actually flows

Self-view matches the OBS preview | The video reaches the call app | How it looks to others after the call service compresses it over your connection

A test call with another person or a recording | What others actually receive | Audio, unless you check the microphone separately

The final step matters most. A correct self-view proves the routing works. It does not prove image quality on the other end, which depends on the call service and your network. A short test call, or a recording made with the call app's own tools, is the only way to see what others see.

Common problems

• Self-view looks mirrored: many call apps flip your own preview like a mirror but send the unflipped image to others. Check the app's mirror setting before changing anything in OBS.
• OBS Virtual Camera missing from the list: confirm the virtual camera is started, then restart the call app or browser. On macOS, check that the extension was allowed. On Linux, check that the loopback module is installed and loaded.
• The call app shows a placeholder or blank image: the virtual camera is selected, but OBS is not running or the virtual camera is stopped. Start OBS first, then the virtual camera, then join the call.
• DSLR feed drops out mid-call: look for the camera's auto power-off, a battery running low on a long session, or an overheating warning. The camera's manual covers which settings and power options apply.
• On-screen camera info appears in the picture: the camera is not sending a clean HDMI signal. Look for a clean or info-free HDMI output option in its menus.

Limitations and gaps

Menu names and the macOS approval steps vary between OBS versions and operating-system releases, so your screens may differ slightly from those described here. No verified resolution, frame-rate, or performance thresholds were available for this guide. Choose settings by testing what your computer and call app handle smoothly, not from a fixed target. Background blur or replacement inside a call app is a separate virtual effect applied after OBS. It can stack with anything you add in OBS, so turn one off if the result looks doubled or the edges look wrong.