How to Use OBS Virtual Camera in Discord

The short answer

OBS Studio can present its output to other apps as if it were a webcam. This feature is called the Virtual Camera. To use it in Discord, build your scene in OBS, click Start Virtual Camera, then open Discord's Voice & Video settings and choose OBS Virtual Camera as your camera. When you turn on video in a call, other people see whatever OBS is sending instead of your raw webcam feed.

Two points change what this setup actually does:

• It replaces your camera, not your screen share. If you want to show a game or an application window, Discord's own screen-sharing feature (Go Live) is the usual tool. The virtual camera is for a webcam-style feed with OBS effects such as overlays, cropping, filters or a background-removal plugin.
• It carries video only. Discord still takes your voice from the microphone selected in its own input settings. Audio sources you add in OBS do not reach Discord through the virtual camera.

Before you start

• OBS Studio installed. Recent versions include the Virtual Camera, and the Start Virtual Camera button appears in the Controls panel.
• A scene in OBS that shows what you want people to see, such as a Video Capture Device source for your webcam plus any overlays.
• The Discord desktop app or Discord in a web browser.
• On macOS: the first time you start the virtual camera, OBS may ask you to approve a system extension in System Settings. You may also need to allow Discord to use the camera under Privacy & Security.
• On Linux: the virtual camera depends on a kernel module called v4l2loopback. OBS may ask for an administrator password to load it, and some distributions require you to install the module separately.

Step 1: Prepare your scene in OBS

Open OBS and select the scene you want to send. If your webcam is not in the scene yet, add a Video Capture Device source and pick your physical camera. Check that the image is visible in the main OBS preview.

Close any other app that might be using the physical webcam, including Discord itself if it is set to that camera. On Windows especially, a webcam can often be used by only one app at a time. If another app holds it, OBS may show a black source.

Step 2: Start the Virtual Camera

In the Controls panel at the bottom right of OBS, click Start Virtual Camera. In recent versions, a settings (gear) icon next to the button lets you choose the output: the full program output, the preview, a specific scene, or a single source. Choose Program output if you want Discord to see exactly what OBS is showing live.

Success check: the button now reads Stop Virtual Camera. The virtual camera stays running as long as OBS is open and this button is active.

Step 3: Select OBS Virtual Camera in Discord

• Open Discord and go to User Settings (the gear icon near your username).
• Under App Settings, choose Voice & Video.
• In the Video Settings area, open the Camera dropdown and select OBS Virtual Camera.
• Click Test Video to show a preview.

Success check: the preview shows your OBS scene, including any overlays or filters, rather than your plain webcam image.

If OBS Virtual Camera is missing from the list, Discord probably started before the virtual camera existed. Quit Discord completely, including from the system tray or menu bar, then reopen it with the virtual camera already running. In a browser, the browser must have camera permission for Discord. If you are prompted, choose OBS Virtual Camera in the permission dialog.

Step 4: Use it in a call

Join a voice channel or call and click the Video or camera button. Discord uses whichever camera is selected in Voice & Video, so no further switching is needed. Leave OBS open for the whole call. If you close OBS or click Stop Virtual Camera, your video feed in Discord will stop or freeze.

What the test does and doesn't tell you

A working Test Video preview confirms three things: Discord can access the virtual camera, OBS is sending frames, and the scene you chose is the one being sent. It does not show what other people actually receive. Discord compresses video for calls, and resolution and smoothness depend on your connection, the other person's connection, and Discord's own quality limits. Your self-view may also look mirrored even when others see it the right way round.

To check what others see, join a call with a friend or a second account on another device. Ask them to confirm three things: the image is right-side up, the text in overlays is readable, and the motion looks smooth enough. Fine text and small details are the most likely to blur after compression.

Separately, check your microphone in the same Voice & Video screen. Use the input device dropdown and the mic test there. Because the virtual camera sends no audio, a perfect video preview tells you nothing about whether people can hear you clearly.

Common problems and fixes

Symptom | Likely cause | What to try

OBS Virtual Camera not listed in Discord | Discord opened before the virtual camera started, or the virtual camera was never installed or approved | Start the virtual camera, then fully quit and reopen Discord. On macOS, approve the OBS system extension. On Linux, confirm v4l2loopback is loaded.

Discord shows an OBS logo or placeholder image instead of your scene | The virtual camera device exists but OBS is not currently sending | Click Start Virtual Camera in OBS and keep OBS open.

Black image in Discord | The selected scene or source is empty or hidden, or the webcam is locked by another app | Confirm the OBS preview shows an image. Check the output selection under the virtual camera gear icon. Close other apps using the webcam.

Image looks stretched or cropped | The OBS output size or aspect ratio does not match what you expect | Adjust the scene layout and the output resolution in OBS's Video settings, then test again.

Video works but nobody can hear you | Audio is not carried by the virtual camera | Select the correct microphone in Discord's Voice & Video input settings.

Limits to keep in mind

Menu names and button positions in both OBS and Discord can change between versions, so labels on your screen may differ slightly from those described here. This guide gives no specific resolution, frame-rate or microphone-level targets. No verified values were available for this setup, and the quality Discord delivers can vary by account, platform and network conditions.

If you use OBS to change your background, the result depends on the filter or plugin and your lighting. It is a separate thing from Discord's own built-in video background effects, and you should normally use only one of the two at a time to avoid conflicting effects.