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For a YouTube gaming stream encoded in H.264, set OBS to CBR, use a 2-second keyframe interval, and match the bitrate to your output: 17 Mbps for 1080p60, 14 Mbps for 1080p30, or 8 Mbps for 720p60 or 720p30. These are YouTube’s live-ingestion recommendations, not settings for uploading a finished VOD file. Your connection must sustain the chosen bitrate; if it cannot, lower the output resolution or frame rate and use the matching recommendation.
Recommended OBS bitrate for YouTube gaming streams
Use the row matching the resolution and frame rate you are actually sending to YouTube. The following are YouTube’s H.264 live-ingestion recommendations; they are not guarantees that a particular internet connection or encoder will deliver reliably.
| Output resolution and frame rate | H.264 live bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p30 | 8 Mbps |
| 720p60 | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps |
| 1440p30 | 21 Mbps |
| 1440p60 | 34 Mbps |
| 2160p (4K) 30 fps | 42 Mbps |
| 2160p (4K) 60 fps | 50 Mbps |
YouTube’s current live encoder guidance gives different recommendations by codec, resolution, and frame rate. For example, at 1080p60 it recommends 17 Mbps for H.264 and 12 Mbps for AV1 or H.265/HEVC; at 720p60, the figures are 8 Mbps for H.264 and 6 Mbps for AV1 or H.265/HEVC. The H.264 minimums shown for 1080p60, 1080p30, 720p60, and 720p30 are 6, 5, 3, and 3 Mbps respectively. Do not use the H.264 figures as if they applied to another codec.
Set the OBS encoder options
OBS labels and available options can vary by version and selected encoder. Set the corresponding values in your streaming output settings:
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- Rate control: CBR (constant bitrate).
- Bitrate: choose the H.264 value for your output row above, unless you are deliberately using another supported codec and have selected that codec’s recommendation.
- Keyframe interval: 2 seconds recommended; do not exceed 4 seconds.
- Protocol: use RTMPS where available. YouTube lists RTMP/RTMPS and recommends RTMPS.
- Frame rate: choose the output frame rate your setup can reliably encode and upload; YouTube’s listed encoder guidance supports up to 60 fps.
These are YouTube ingestion recommendations, not a version-specific OBS menu walkthrough. For the current platform requirements, see YouTube’s encoder settings guidance.
Choose a bitrate your upload can sustain
The bitrate target is only useful if your upload connection can maintain it without repeated drops or instability. YouTube recommends testing upload bitrate with a speed test, then testing a sample stream with audio and movement similar to the real broadcast. During the test or live session, watch YouTube’s stream-health status and messages. A speed-test result alone does not guarantee a stable stream under real conditions.
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- Decide the output resolution and frame rate you can consistently encode and upload.
- Select the corresponding bitrate for the codec being sent to YouTube.
- Configure CBR and a 2-second keyframe interval, and use RTMPS if available.
- Run a test with representative gameplay motion and audio; monitor YouTube stream health.
- If the stream is unstable, reduce the output resolution or frame rate and select the matching bitrate rather than forcing the higher target.
For a common H.264 setup, if 1080p60 at 17 Mbps is unstable, test 1080p30 at 14 Mbps or 720p at 8 Mbps, choosing the frame rate that remains reliable. YouTube’s testing and monitoring advice is in its live encoder guidance.
Live-stream bitrate is not the same as VOD upload bitrate
“VOD stream” can mean a live broadcast that is saved as an archive, or a finished video file uploaded to YouTube. The bitrate table in this article is for the live signal sent from OBS to YouTube. For a finished SDR 1080p video file, YouTube’s separate upload encoding guidance lists 8 Mbps for standard frame rates (24, 25, or 30 fps) and 12 Mbps for high frame rates (48, 50, or 60 fps). Those file-upload recommendations should not be substituted for live-ingestion settings.
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Will YouTube save the live gaming stream?
Archiving is separate from the encoder bitrate. YouTube says it can automatically archive live streams shorter than 12 hours, and that 1440p and 2160p streams are automatically archived. See YouTube’s archive live streams guidance for details.
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