How to Change OBS Screen Size

Updated 4 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

This guide shows you how to change the canvas (output) size in OBS Studio, which controls the resolution of your stream or recording. You’ll learn to adjust the base and output resolutions, plus how to resize individual sources to fit your new canvas. No special tools are neededâ€”just OBS Studio installed on your computer.

What You’ll Need

OBS Studio installed (free, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux)
Your scene and sources already set up

Step-by-Step

Open OBS Studio. Launch the application and make sure you’re in the main window with your scenes and sources visible.
Go to Settings. Click the Settings button in the bottom-right corner of the main window (or go to File > Settings on some platforms).
Select the Video tab. In the left sidebar of the Settings window, click Video.
Set the Base (Canvas) Resolution. Under Base (Canvas) Resolution, choose your desired resolution from the dropdown. This is the resolution of your entire sceneâ€”the canvas you build your layout on. Common choices are 1920×1080 (Full HD) or 3840×2160 (4K). If you don’t see your exact resolution, select Custom from the dropdown and enter the width and height manually.
Set the Output (Scaled) Resolution. Under Output (Scaled) Resolution, pick the resolution you want to actually stream or record at. This can be lower than the base resolution (e.g., base 1920×1080, output 1280×720) to reduce bandwidth or file size. Choose Custom to enter a specific size.
Choose a Downscale Filter. If your output resolution is smaller than your base, select a downscale filter. Lanczos is generally the best quality, while Bilinear is faster but slightly softer. Bicubic is a good middle ground.
Apply and close. Click Apply to save your changes, then OK to close Settings. Your canvas size will update immediately.
Resize your sources (if needed). After changing the canvas, your sources may be misaligned or cropped. Click on a source in the preview window to select it, then drag the red handles to resize or reposition it to fit the new canvas. Repeat for each source.
Check your output. Start a test recording or stream to verify that the resolution looks correct and that all sources are visible.

Common Mistakes

Confusing Base and Output Resolution. The base is your working canvas; the output is what gets encoded. Setting them to different values is fine, but if you set the output higher than the base, OBS will upscale, which can degrade quality.
Forgetting to resize sources. After changing the canvas, sources often appear too large, too small, or off-center. Always check and adjust each source.
Choosing a resolution your monitor doesn’t support. If you set the base resolution higher than your monitor’s native resolution, the preview may be scaled down, but it won’t affect the actual output. However, some GPUs may struggle with very large canvases.
Not applying settings. Clicking OK without clicking Apply first may not save your changes in some versions. Always click Apply.

Tips

Use a common resolution. Stick to standard resolutions like 1920×1080 or 1280×720 for maximum compatibility with streaming platforms and video players.
Match output to your upload speed. If your internet upload is limited, lower the output resolution to avoid dropped frames.
Preview at a comfortable size. You can change the preview scaling independently by right-clicking the preview and choosing Preview Scalingâ€”this doesn’t affect the output.
Use the “Fit to Screen” shortcut. After resizing a source, you can right-click it in the preview and select Transform > Fit to Screen to quickly make it fill the canvas.
Test with a local recording. Before going live, record a short clip to check the resolution and quality.

Troubleshooting

Canvas doesn’t change. Make sure you clicked Apply. If you’re using a custom resolution, double-check the numbers are within your GPU’s limits. Restart OBS if the preview still shows the old size.
Sources are blurry. This usually means the output resolution is much lower than the base. Increase the output resolution or use a higher-quality downscale filter like Lanczos.
Sources are cut off. Your sources are likely positioned outside the new canvas. Select each source and drag it back into view, or use Transform > Fit to Screen.
Stream looks stretched. This happens when the output resolution has a different aspect ratio than the base. For example, base 1920×1080 (16:9) but output 1280×1024 (5:4) will stretch. Use a resolution with the same aspect ratio (e.g., 1280×720 for 16:9).
OBS uses too much CPU/GPU. A larger canvas (e.g., 4K) is more demanding. Lower the base resolution or output resolution to improve performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between base and output resolution?

Base resolution is the size of your scene canvasâ€”where you place and arrange sources. Output resolution is the size of the final streamed or recorded video. OBS scales the canvas down (or up) to the output resolution.

Can I change the canvas size without changing the output?

Yes. You can set a large base (e.g., 2560×1440) and a smaller output (e.g., 1920×1080). This allows you to have more detail in your sources while streaming at a lower resolution.

Why is my preview window smaller than the canvas?

The preview is scaled to fit your screen. You can change the preview scaling by right-clicking the preview and selecting Preview Scalingâ€”it doesn’t affect the actual output.

How do I change the resolution for a single source?

You can’t change a source’s native resolution, but you can resize it in the preview by dragging its handles. For media sources (like videos), you can also set a custom resolution in the source properties.

Does changing the canvas size affect my existing scenes?

Yes, it affects all scenes. Sources may need repositioning, but your scene structure and settings are preserved. You can also use scene-specific canvas sizes by creating multiple profiles, if needed.

What’s the best resolution for streaming?

For most streamers, 1920×1080 at 60fps is standard. If your internet upload is slow, 1280×720 at 30fps is a safe choice. Always match the output resolution to your upload speed.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.