OBS Virtual Camera NOT showing up in windows 11, but it's showing in OBS

[ecto5416]

I've Installed latest version OBS. When I start OBS's Virtual Camera, it shows up properly within OBS (as it should) but It DOESN'T show up in windows 11 (as you can see in attached screenshot). It also doesn't show up in any other windows app. I want to use this virtual camera within snap camera, but it doesn't show up anywhere other than OBS.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

 

[ecto5416]

Screenshot of snap camera. No option to choose OBS Virtual Camera.

This issue is with every app except OBS itself.

 

[ecto5416]

No one knows anything about it?

 

[ecto5416]

It seems like its not an issue with OBS, but with snap camera.

 

[scrambler]

No, I assure you that you're correct and that this has stopped working in Windows 11. It has worked in the past, however the most recent few releases it has stopped working. There does not appear to be a vocal crowd of people talking about this, however.

The fact that you can see it in other apps does prove that the output is SOMEWHERE, however it's NOT being picked up by Windows 11 core systems for use with many if not most apps.

 

[deebruetsch]

Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 23H2
Installed on ‎2/‎23/‎2023
OS build 22631.3447
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22688.1000.0

On this system things are weird. If OBS is using my normal USB webcam, then Facebook cannot see OBS virtual camera. If I redirect OBS to not use my local webcam, then Facebook can see the OBS virtual camera and one other virtual camera (from my VEGAS app). but it cannot connect to it. (This does NOT happen on my old Win 10 laptop).

Note my Zoom app can see all virtual sources all the time.

Note my settings app never sees any virtual cameras, just the one physical camera. (Settings->Bluetooth&Devices->Cameras)

 

[bucke]

It really sucks that this is being disregarded. I completed agree - this DID work in Windows 11, but something has changed.

In Win11 Settings on my laptop, it will detect the front facing camera and USB-connected camera (Microsoft LifeCam). Within OBS, I have a scene that is connected to the MS LifeCam, and it works. Teams, WebEx and Zoom will show the OBS virtual camera - although sometimes it stops working - the video image is black. However, in Windows Settings, it doesn't show OBS as a 'Connected camera' - but it used to. And it used to work very well with all apps.

The Win11 native Camera app will show the 2 cameras (Front facing on laptop, and USB LifeCam), but it does not show the OBS Virtual Camera. I'm guessing a Windows 11 update has broken at least a portion of the OBS Virtual Camera - because it doesn't show in the Settings, but yet it does show in some of the apps (...just not reliably).

 

[bucke]

Well, reference this link: Windows 11 Device Manager does not show Camera

The virtual obs camera never shows up in Windows device manager. It links into Windows without device driver. Most apps will recognize the virtual cam, however there are some apps that insist on a physical camera don't, such as the Windows camera app. Make sure you installed OBS with the installer, not from a zip file in portable mode.

Something changed, maybe with Windows 11 and how devices have to be registered??? I hope this can be addressed, because I feel like it should be properly registered with the OS to ensure that it will work consistently with video conferencing apps.

 

[koala]

The virtual OBS camera never ever showed up in device manager. In device manager only devices powered by device drivers are showing up, while OBS doesn't come with a device driver but instead dynamically registers its virtual camera at runtime. This is probably a very lightweight method of bringing video into Windows and is specifically intended by Microsoft to be used by apps that provide virtual cameras, while writing a whole device driver is something rather complex and time consuming.

Most Windows apps support both kind of cameras. The Windows native camera app only supports cameras with a device driver and never showed the OBS camera, while every other regular Windows app I know also recognizes the dynamically registered OBS virtual camera.

So just use the OBS camera with your app and ignore the fact the Windows native camera doesn't support it. It's a not really an important issue, and it's also not a sign of something being not right.

 

[dark_passagesa]

The virtual OBS camera never ever showed up in device manager. In device manager only devices powered by device drivers are showing up, while OBS doesn't come with a device driver but instead dynamically registers its virtual camera at runtime. This is probably a very lightweight method of bringing video into Windows and is specifically intended by Microsoft to be used by apps that provide virtual cameras, while writing a whole device driver is something rather complex and time consuming.

Most Windows apps support both kind of cameras. The Windows native camera app only supports cameras with a device driver and never showed the OBS camera, while every other regular Windows app I know also recognizes the dynamically registered OBS virtual camera.

So just use the OBS camera with your app and ignore the fact the Windows native camera doesn't support it. It's a not really an important issue, and it's also not a sign of something being not right.

"specifically intended by Microsoft to be used by apps that provide virtual cameras" nice, but Microsoft does not think it's necessary to update their apps so they can actually use a virtual camera.
"Most Windows apps support both kind of cameras." No they don't ! That's why there are so many forum posts about virtual camera's not showing in Microsoft apps. Not sure how many apps you know, but none of the Microsoft apps I use support them. Great work Microsoft! NOT.
"So just use the OBS camera with your app and ignore the fact the Windows native camera doesn't support it." If that was an option, do you really think there were this many forum posts about this problem?
"it's also not a sign of something being not right." True, just a sign that Microsoft makes crappy apps that are too cheap to be real.

So people: Please, stop nagging the great people that made OBS and start nagging the idiots at Microsoft that they should fix their crappy apps.