Knowledge Base > OBS Studio > Virtual Camera Guide

Virtual Camera Guide

What is the virtual camera?

Discord and Skype using the virtual camera

The Virtual Camera is a feature of OBS Studio that allows you to share your OBS Studio scene with any applications that can make use of a webcam, such as Zoom, Skype, Discord, etc. This feature is particularly useful for applications that cannot capture the screen directly.

Using the virtual camera

To start the virtual camera, click Start Virtual Camera in the Controls dock. To stop the virtual camera, click the same button again (which will be labelled Stop Virtual Camera).
OBS Studio Controls dock, with the Start Virtual Camera button highlighted

To adjust settings for the virtual camera, click on the ⚙ Gear icon in the Controls dock.
OBS Studio Controls dock with the Virtual Camera Settings button highlighted

From the Virtual Camera settings window, you can adjust the following settings:

  • Program: The virtual camera will show what OBS Studio normally outputs
  • Preview: If using Studio Mode, the virtual camera will show the Preview. This means anybody watching the video feed will see you changing scenes, making edits, etc.
  • Scene: The virtual camera shows only one scene, regardless of what is currently showing in the outputs
  • Source: The virtual camera always shows one source
Virtual Camera settings window

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