Why use OBS instead of Xsplit or ShadowPlay?
As if there’s not already enough to worry about when you’re starting to stream, there’s plenty of confusion about the three major stream casting softwares on top of it! Let’s look at why you should use OBS instead of Xsplit or ShadowPlay for Streaming.
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What is OBS?
OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is an essential Broadcasting tool that any Video Maker and Streamer can always use to create and stream content. It is a free software, downloadable over at https://obsproject.com/ and has frequent updates to keep the experience up to date with the new possibilities and hardware available out there. It is a very handy program altogether and is still used by popular Streamers and Youtubers.
Some quick highlights:
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It’s Free
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Starting a basic stream is simple…
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...but you can customize to your heart’s content if you want to.
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Open source coding means there’s lots of plugins to do exactly what you want
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OBS doesn’t use a lot of computer resources, compared to Xsplit
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We recommend a second monitor for monitoring your stream, though.
Why should you use OBS?
Using OBS as someone fresh to the creation scene is a very inviting experience, it is a very standard program with quite a lot of settings to go in-depth for far more professional use once you get your grip on the Scenes/Sources and how to make it a great experience altogether.
OBS will be very simple to introduce to everyone and did I already mention that it is FREE !?
Picking this Software is usually a no-brainer for people that would prefer to not use their wallet to much to get into it and truth be told, his competitor Xsplit doesn’t really offer much that would seal the deal for their subscription service when it comes to beginning and more.
So yes, OBS is a pretty easy to set up software, requiring quite a small amount of effort to set up a “classic” stream (Footage+Webcam, no alerts and such) and offers overall a pretty good fan of options while making them simple enough to access and understand.
Now, how much does OBS use in your PCs resources, well not much, depending on the hardware you have on hand, there are settings to lower the use of OBS on it but it will just result in lowering the overall stream quality, if you go for the norm, being 720p30 fps , which is Twitch’s current maximum, you will need to make sure that you can support the programs you run to showcase well enough, obviously, but that is the same deal for any of the Softwares you can choose from to stream.
What makes OBS better than ShadowPlay ?
One Word: Customization
Yes, ShadowPlay by Nvidia is quite a very “naked” program, with no customizable functions to make your stream be your stream , this is an option for anyone who has maybe a very low specs PC, where SP will be a possible solution as the strain it puts on your PC for streaming is super low, which can be great but then allows nothing more than that, it just is there to stream a very raw stream if you want to have anything more custom, please go to OBS or Xsplit.
OBS will be something you really want to go on if your PC can actually offer the resources to use it and broadcast properly, if not and that your machine is still working on coal, go with ShadowPlay then (and consider upgrading to OBS on a later time where you will be geared up for it).
What makes OBS better than Xsplit?
This is usually a pretty big deal, those two are basically the titans of the softwares you want to use, but instead of just pointing out the obvious by saying that OBS is free and that it should be the only reason to pick it if you don’t want to drop some money monthly for it, here are some details on why you want to check OBS out instead of Xsplit. I will focus on the Gamecaster and not the Broadcaster as it performs much better than the latter.
So, to begin, OBS has a way more customizable experience, but it also offers a very good plugin support that allows you to customize even further while still keeping your PC running at the usual power. Xsplit is sadly not supporting these very well, at least not as optimally as OBS.
But let’s be true to ourselves, while OBS is a very good pick, Xsplit will usually be the “easy to use” program with its very straightforward settings that need almost no modifications before the initial use, just make sure you still review those, as you want to make sure that they all will be suited to your possibilities and expectations. And I will also give one point to Xsplit for having a very useful set of tools to interact on your Stream without the use of a second monitor, for example when you want to have your stream chat on screen. OBS would most commonly require a second screen to be used efficiently so you can have those streamer necessities. Xsplit will also feature a simulated green screen, which is neat when you do not have space or money to put into that. But in the end, ending up with multiple monitors will end up being almost required anyway.
Performance wise, running Xsplit will usually be require you to have a bit more power out of your device to have all the features mentioned above run efficiently, compared to OBS, when you have the required gear for it.
In the end OBS and Xsplit really might come down to preference, while many will still go for OBS once they have all the hardware, monitor and possibly a greenscreen on hand to basically drop Xsplit if they ever chose it. OBS will end up being something everyone will go for to go “deepest” in the customizable options and an overall easy experience.
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So that’s it folks! Hope you all enjoyed this little tutorial and that you now can possibly make your pick! If you really enjoyed it, make sure to share it with anyone in need that is also struggling! What softwares are you guys using? Are there any points that would make OBS more viable to you that is not mentioned here? Tell us, we are eager to learn about what you picked and why! Tweet us @RealNewTubers!