Legacy Plugin Locations

Starting with OBS Studio 33.0 we are updating how OBS Studio handles loading plugins. Plugins that are installed to the old locations will still work but will be flagged with a Legacy indicator in the plugin manager. In the future these plugins will not be loaded. Plugin authors should update their plugin installers and guidance with the following information.

What does this mean for me?

Right now you don't need to do anything. Your plugins will continue to work in Legacy locations until at least OBS Studio 34.0, which would be scheduled to release around August 2027.

We are giving plugin developers plenty of time to update their plugins for the new structure. We recommend keeping an eye out for updates from plugin authors for the plugins you use. It's always good to keep your plugins up to date anyway!

What if I'm a plugin developer?

First party modules are now in a new core folder and only official plugins will be loaded from this folder. As part of this shift, we are also unifying where third-party plugins are loaded from and the folder structure for them.

OBS Studio will attempt the new location and folder structure first.

If a plugin is loaded successfully, it will skip the same plugin if it is later found in a legacy location or folder structure. This means you can update your installer or guides to put your plugin in the new location and structure without having to worry about an older version in the legacy location.

Details about the new plugin location and structure is available in Legacy Plugin Developer Info.