How to Set Up Display Capture in OBS

Display Capture records your entire monitor in OBS. Create a scene, add the operating-system capture source, choose the display, verify the preview, configure output and audio, then make a short test recording.

Quick answer

Open OBS Studio and create or select a scene.
In Sources, click + and choose the screen-capture source for your operating system.
Select the monitor you want to record and decide whether to show the cursor.
Check the preview, audio meters, and Settings → Output.
Make a short test recording or stream before the real session.

On Windows this source is called Display Capture. On macOS 13 or newer, use macOS Screen Capture. On Linux, use Screen Capture (XSHM) for X11 or Screen Capture (PipeWire) for Wayland.

Before you start

Install and open OBS Studio.
Decide whether you need the whole monitor or only one application window. Use Display Capture for the whole monitor; use Window Capture for a single window.
Close private notifications and unrelated windows because everything visible on the selected monitor can be recorded.
If you are recording sound, play a test sound so you can confirm the correct desktop-audio and microphone meters move.

Set up Display Capture step by step

1. Create a scene

In the Scenes dock, click +, name the scene, and confirm. You can also select an existing scene.

2. Add the screen source

In the Sources dock, click +. Choose the source that matches your operating system:

Operating system	Source	What it captures
Windows	Display Capture	The entire selected monitor
macOS 13 or newer	macOS Screen Capture	A display, application, or window
macOS 10.15–12.6	Display Capture	The selected display
Linux with X11	Screen Capture (XSHM)	The X11 screen
Linux with Wayland	Screen Capture (PipeWire)	The Wayland screen

These names and platform differences are documented in OBS’s Display Capture Sources reference.

3. Choose the monitor and cursor behavior

In the source properties, choose the target display. Enable or disable Capture Cursor according to whether viewers should see the mouse pointer. On macOS, the source also provides cropping controls.

OBS allows only one Display Capture source per display. If another scene needs the same monitor, reuse or reference the existing source instead of creating duplicate display sources.

4. Check the preview and layout

The preview should show the intended monitor. If the image is too large or small, right-click the source and use the transform options to fit it to the canvas. Keep the source visible in the Sources list and avoid accidentally hiding it with the eye icon.

5. Configure output and audio

Open Settings → Output and select the recording or streaming settings appropriate for your workflow. In the Audio Mixer, confirm that desktop audio and microphone meters move when expected. Meters moving proves OBS is receiving a signal; it does not by itself confirm that the final recording contains the right track, so make a short test recording.

6. Test before the real capture

Start a short recording.
Move a window, play desktop audio, and speak into the microphone.
Stop the recording and watch the file from start to finish.
Confirm the correct monitor, cursor visibility, frame layout, and audio tracks.

The OBS Quick Start Guide also recommends checking the preview, audio meters, output settings, and making a test recording or stream.

Platform-specific details

Windows

Display Capture is the standard whole-monitor source. On laptops with more than one GPU, OBS documents a historical problem where the GPU running OBS does not match the GPU driving the monitor. OBS 27 and later include a newer capture method intended to work across that mismatch. Keep Windows and OBS current, leave OBS on the default high-power GPU, and try the Automatic capture method first. The Windows 10 (1903+) method requires Windows 10 version 1903 or later and OBS 27 or later. See the official laptop troubleshooting guide.

macOS

On macOS 13 or newer, choose macOS Screen Capture; the older Display Capture source is deprecated there. macOS Screen Capture can target a display, application, or window and includes cursor and hidden-window controls. On macOS 10.15 through 12.6, the official compatibility matrix lists Display Capture as available.

Linux

Linux does not provide the Windows-style Display Capture source. Select Screen Capture (XSHM) when using X11. Select Screen Capture (PipeWire) when using Wayland; PipeWire capture requires Wayland.

Fix black, blank, or incorrect capture

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Black preview on a Windows laptop	OBS and the monitor are running on different GPUs	Update Windows and OBS, keep OBS on the default high-power GPU, and try the Automatic capture method first.
Wrong monitor appears	The source is pointed at another display	Open source properties and select the intended display.
Only one window is needed	Display Capture includes the whole monitor	Use Window Capture instead.
No cursor in the recording	Cursor capture is disabled	Enable Capture Cursor in the source properties.
Cursor appears when it should not	Cursor capture is enabled	Disable Capture Cursor.
Linux source is unavailable	Wrong session type or source selected	Use XSHM on X11 and PipeWire on Wayland.
No desktop sound	Incorrect audio device or muted mixer source	Check the Audio Mixer meters and the selected desktop-audio device, then make another short test.
Source is missing from a scene	The source was hidden or not added to that scene	Check the eye icon and add or reuse the existing source reference.

Performance and reliability checklist

Capture only the monitor you need; use Window Capture when a whole desktop is unnecessary.
Close overlays, notifications, and unrelated applications before recording.
Keep OBS and your operating system updated, especially on multi-GPU laptops.
Reuse one Display Capture source for a display across scenes instead of adding duplicates.
Run a brief recording after changing displays, GPUs, audio devices, or source properties.
Review the finished file, not only the live preview, before a long session.

Or skip the browser setup

If your goal is a shareable image or PDF of a web page rather than a live desktop recording, ScreenshotNeo captures the page through one API request. It accepts the cookie or consent banner like a visitor, then removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and every response reports the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. It also provides an MCP server for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients with take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for all options.

cURL

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

Python

import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js

const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);

Create a free ScreenshotNeo account for 1,000 screenshots each month with no card.

FAQ

Does Display Capture record one application?

No. It records the entire selected monitor. Use Window Capture for a single application or window.

Can I add the same display to multiple scenes?

Yes. OBS says to reuse a reference to the existing source rather than creating duplicate Display Capture sources for the same display.

Why is Display Capture unavailable on Linux?

Linux uses Screen Capture (XSHM) for X11 and Screen Capture (PipeWire) for Wayland.

Which source should I use on macOS 13?

Use macOS Screen Capture. The older Display Capture source is deprecated on macOS 13 and newer.