OBS Recording Lags But Game Doesn't

By Rakib Sarwar Written by Rakib Sarwar
Updated on April 25, 2022

Have you ever been playing a game and had your OBS recording suddenly start lagging behind the action? You’re not alone. Many gamers have run into this issue, and unfortunately, there’s no easy fix. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the possible causes of this problem and offer some solutions. Stay tuned!

If you’re experiencing lag while recording games using OBS, there are a few troubleshooting methods that you can try. The first solution is to go into the OBS Studio settings and change the CPU priority from “Normal” to either “Above Normal” or “High.” The second solution is to turn off NVENC. This will free up some of your GPU resources and may help with the lagging issue. The third solution is to adjust your OBS settings.

You may need to lower your in-game graphics settings or update your graphics card drivers. Finally, if all else fails, try shutting down unnecessary programs running in the background. Hopefully one of these solutions resolves the problem for you!

Why OBS recording is laggy but game is not?

There are a few possible reasons for this issue:

1. The CPU priority is set to “Normal” in the OBS Studio settings.

2. NVENC may be enabled. This can cause lag when recording games using OBS.

3. The OBS settings may need to be adjusted.

4. There may be unnecessary programs running in the background.

5. The computer may be overloaded. Try restarting the computer to see if this helps.

6. The game may be poorly optimized.

7. There may be a problem with the capture card or other hardware.

8. The OBS software may be out of date.

How to fix OBS recording lags?

Troubleshooting Method-1

You may have the CPU priority is set to “Normal” in the OBS Studio settings. The solution is to go into the OBS Studio settings, and change the CPU priority from “Normal” to either “Above Normal” or “High.” This should fix your issue, but if it does not reinstall the software.

Troubleshooting Method-2

NVENC may be enabled. Try turning that off. NVENC is generally free in terms of GPU resources except for two recent feature additions: lookahead and psycho visual tuning.

You should also be using the main or high profiles and not baseline. If you’re not doing multitrack audio, you might do a test with simple output mode and indistinguishable quality, large file size settings to see how that performs.

Troubleshooting Method-3

You can adjust OBS settings to solve the lagging issues. Open OBS and go to settings. From there, go to the output tab and change the mode to advanced. Next, change the x264 CPU preset to very fast or faster. By doing this, you are telling OBS to render the video quicker which would help in getting rid of the lagging issue.

Troubleshooting Method-4

If you are still facing lags then it is advised that you close all the other programs and just run OBS to check if that solves your problem. It is also recommended that you update your graphics driver and Windows to the latest version.

Troubleshooting Method-5

This problem can also be caused by your graphics card. If you are using an integrated graphics card, then it is advised that you disable it and use a dedicated one instead. This is because the integrated graphics card uses the same RAM as your CPU which can lead to bottlenecking and lagging.

Troubleshooting Method-6

Another reason for OBS recording lag could be the codec that you are using. If you are using the x264 codec, then it is advised that you change it to NVENC. This is because the NVENC codec is much more efficient and uses less resources which would help in reducing the lag.

Troubleshooting Method-7

If you have tried all of the above methods and are still facing lag, then it is advised that you upgrade your CPU. This is because the CPU is responsible for encoding the video which can lead to bottlenecking if it is not powerful enough.

Troubleshooting Method-8

You can optimize your game settings to reduce lag. This can be done by reducing the resolution and graphics settings of the game. This will help in reducing the load on your CPU and GPU which would help in reducing the lag.

Troubleshooting Method-9

If you are still facing lag, then it is advised that you try streaming on a different service such as Twitch or YouTube. This is because the OBS software can sometimes be buggy which can lead to lag.

Troubleshooting Method-10

If you have tried all of the above methods and are still facing lag, then it is advised that you contact the OBS support team. They will be able to help you troubleshoot the issue and find a solution.

Conclusion

These are some of the methods that you can use to fix OBS recording lag. If you have any other methods that you would like to share with us, please leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to share this article with your friends who are facing the same problem.