How to Switch OBS Scenes with a Stream Deck

A Stream Deck can switch scenes in OBS Studio with a single key press, so you don't have to click around the OBS window while you're live or recording. This guide covers the two common methods. The first uses the OBS Studio plugin for the Stream Deck software. The second binds an OBS hotkey to a Stream Deck key.

Before you start

• OBS Studio is installed, and the scenes you want to control already exist with clear, final names.
• The Stream Deck software is installed and recognizes your device.
• You know which OBS version you run. From version 28 onward, OBS includes the WebSocket server that the Stream Deck plugin connects to. With older versions, you may need a separate component, so follow the prompts in the plugin.
• You have internet access while installing the plugin from the Stream Deck store. Scene switching itself happens locally between the Stream Deck software and OBS.

Both programs usually run on the same computer. If OBS runs on another machine, the plugin must reach that machine over your local network. Have its IP address ready and make sure no firewall blocks the connection.

Step-by-step instructions

Method 1: OBS Studio plugin (recommended)

• 1. In OBS Studio, open Tools and choose WebSocket Server Settings. Enable the WebSocket server. Note the port, which is 4455 by default, and the password if authentication is enabled.
• 2. In the Stream Deck software, open the store and install the OBS Studio plugin from Elgato if it is not already listed among your actions.
• 3. Find the OBS Studio category in the action list and drag the Scene action onto an empty key.
• 4. Select the key to open its settings. If the plugin asks for connection details, enter the host (the local machine, or the other computer's IP address), the port and the password from step 1.
• 5. Once connected, choose the scene collection and the scene this key should activate.
• 6. Repeat for each scene. Optionally give each key a title or icon so you can tell them apart at a glance.

This method is reversible. You can drag a key off the Stream Deck canvas to delete it, and turning off the WebSocket server in OBS cuts the connection without affecting your scenes. The plugin connection also lets keys show which scene is active. Exact labels in the plugin can differ between Stream Deck software versions.

Method 2: OBS hotkeys

• 1. In OBS Studio, open Settings and go to the Hotkeys section.
• 2. Find the scene you want and assign a key combination to its switch action. Pick a combination you will never press by accident, such as one using several modifier keys.
• 3. In the Stream Deck software, drag the Hotkey action from the System category onto a key and record the same combination.
• 4. Repeat for each scene.

Hotkeys work without a WebSocket connection, but the key gives no feedback about which scene is live. The combination must also stay unique across the other apps you run. On macOS, the system may ask you to grant permissions before the Stream Deck software can send keystrokes or OBS can receive global hotkeys.

Check the output

Press each key and watch the main view in OBS. The scene name highlighted in the Scenes list should change, and the canvas should show that scene's capture sources. If Studio Mode is on, a switch may land in the Preview pane instead of the live Program output. Check which pane changed, and decide whether you want a separate transition key.

Switching scenes does not change your encoding settings, bitrate, frame rate or recording format. Those stay as configured under Settings in OBS. To confirm that a live switch looks clean, make a short test recording, press each key, and play the file back. Look for black frames, audio gaps or a stuttering transition.

Common problems and next steps

• Key shows a warning or the scene list is empty: the plugin is not connected. Check that the WebSocket server is enabled in OBS and that the port and password match. If OBS is on another computer, check that the firewall allows the connection.
• Key worked before but now does nothing: the scene was probably renamed or deleted, or you switched scene collections. Open the key settings and select the scene again.
• Hotkey method does nothing: confirm the combination is identical in both programs and not taken by another app. On macOS, check the permissions mentioned above.
• Camera or capture card goes black briefly after a switch: the same device may be added as separate capture sources in several scenes. Add it once, then reuse it in other scenes as a pasted reference or a nested scene, so OBS does not reopen the device.
• Wrong scene goes live in Studio Mode: assign a separate key for the transition, or turn Studio Mode off if you want direct switching.

Once scene switching works, you can use the same plugin to add keys for starting a recording, muting a microphone or toggling individual sources. Build up your layout one key at a time and test each key before going live.