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  • Remote desktop
  • Windows RDP
  • Windows Server 2022

OBS Studio on a Windows RDP server

OBS Studio runs on a GhostRDP Windows RDP Pro plan with 6 vCPU and 12 GB RAM in Germany or the Netherlands, from €27.99/mo.

Running OBS on a server keeps a stream live without your PC or home upload. Our servers have no GPU, so OBS encodes with x264 on the CPU and draws its preview in software. That suits looping videos, slideshows and relays more than game capture.

Order Pro · €27.99/moInstall steps

  • 24/7 streams

    Keep a stream live without your PC or home upload.

  • x264 on the CPU

    Software encoding on dedicated vCPU cores.

  • Full Windows desktop

    Set up scenes and sources over Remote Desktop.

Plans for OBS Studio

x264 encoding uses the CPU. Pro has six cores for a 1080p stream at a fast preset; Standard suits 720p.

  • Windows RDP Standard

    €14.99/mo

    €12.74/mo billed yearly, save €26/year

    • 4 vCPU
    • 8 GB ECC RAM
    • 70 GB NVMe
    • 1 Gbps port
    Order Standard

  • Windows RDP Pro

    Recommended

    €27.99/mo

    €23.79/mo billed yearly, save €50/year

    • 6 vCPU
    • 12 GB ECC RAM
    • 90 GB NVMe
    • 1 Gbps port
    Order Pro

  • Windows RDP Advanced

    €36.99/mo

    €31.44/mo billed yearly, save €66/year

    • 12 vCPU
    • 24 GB ECC RAM
    • 150 GB NVMe
    • 1 Gbps port
    Order Advanced

What you need

  • Operating system
    Windows RDP (Windows Server 2022 or 2025)
  • Minimum resources
    4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM for 720p; more cores for 1080p
  • Encoder
    x264 (software). There is no GPU encoder on our servers

Official site: obsproject.com

How to install OBS Studio

Written for Windows Server 2022 from the official instructions. Your server comes with full Administrator access, so you install the software yourself.

  1. 1

    Connect to your server with Remote Desktop

    Open your server in the client area and download the .rdp file, or open Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc) on your PC and enter the server's IP address. Sign in as Administrator with the password from your welcome email. On a Mac, use Windows App (Microsoft Remote Desktop) from the App Store.

  2. 2

    Download OBS Studio

    On the server, open Microsoft Edge, go to obsproject.com and download the Windows installer.

  3. 3

    Install OBS

    Run the installer with the default options. If Windows asks for the Visual C++ runtime, let it install.

  4. 4

    Set CPU encoding

    In Settings > Output, set Output Mode to Advanced, Encoder to x264, Rate Control to CBR and CPU Usage Preset to veryfast. Start with 720p at 30 fps in Settings > Video and raise it if CPU usage stays low.

  5. 5

    Add your stream key and start

    In Settings > Stream, pick your platform and paste your stream key. Add your sources (a media source for videos, a browser source for overlays) and click Start Streaming.

After installing

  • Leave it running
    Close the Remote Desktop window with the X instead of signing out. Your session, and everything open in it, keeps running on the server.
  • Start again after a reboot
    Programs in a Windows session only start when someone signs in. After Windows updates restart the server, connect once over RDP, or set up automatic sign-in with Microsoft's Sysinternals Autologon tool and put a shortcut to the app in the Startup folder (Win+R, shell:startup).
  • Watch the stats
    View > Stats shows skipped frames. Frames skipped due to encoding lag mean the preset or resolution is too high for the CPU.

OBS Studio questions

Which plan do I need for OBS streaming?

Pro for 1080p with x264, Standard for 720p. Encoding is CPU work, so cores matter most.

Is there a GPU for NVENC?

No. Our servers have no GPU, so OBS uses the x264 software encoder.

Can I stream 24/7?

Yes, the server stays on and the port is 1 Gbps. Make sure your content and the platform's rules allow it.

What happens if I disconnect from RDP?

OBS keeps streaming as long as you close the Remote Desktop window instead of signing out.

Stuck on a step? Our team answers on live chat and in tickets.

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