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To add a speedrun timer to OBS, install the LiveSplit One OBS plugin, add its source to your scene, then choose your split file and layout in the source properties. If the plugin does not support your operating system or OBS version, OpenSpeedRun offers a browser-source alternative through a local overlay server.
Choose how the timer will appear in OBS
There are two documented software routes. LiveSplit One adds a dedicated source directly to OBS. OpenSpeedRun sends timer data through a local WebSocket overlay that OBS displays as a browser source.
| Decision | LiveSplit One OBS plugin | OpenSpeedRun browser overlay |
|---|---|---|
| How it enters OBS | Add the “LiveSplit One” source. LiveSplit One project instructions. | Add an OBS browser source connected to the local WebSocket overlay. OpenSpeedRun project instructions. |
| Setup focus | Install the OS-specific plugin, then choose the split file and layout in its source properties. | Enable the overlay server in OpenSpeedRun’s configuration; it is off by default. |
| Compatibility | Check that the release matches your operating system, architecture, and OBS version. OBS plugins may be platform-specific or may not support every OBS release. OBS Project Plugins Guide. | The project describes releases for Windows, Linux, and macOS; its README says macOS is currently untested. |
| Presentation | Select a layout in source properties. Multiple sources can share split state while using different layouts. | Customize the browser-source presentation; the project includes a ready-made overlay example. |
Add LiveSplit One to OBS
- Check compatibility first. Confirm your OS, architecture, and OBS version, then choose a matching release and follow the project’s OS-specific README. Installation notes cover Windows, Linux, Flatpak, and macOS. The OBS Project notes that plugins can have platform and version limitations in its Plugins Guide.
- Restart OBS if the install instructions require it, then open the scene where you want the timer.
- Add the plugin source. In OBS Studio, find the Sources dock, select +, and choose LiveSplit One. Give the source a recognizable name if prompted.
- Choose the run and appearance. Open the source properties and select the split file and layout you want displayed.
- Set controls if needed. In OBS, open Settings → Hotkeys and assign hotkeys to the LiveSplit One source actions you want to use.
- Place and check the source. Resize and position it in the scene, then inspect the scene with gameplay visible. Keep the timer legible while avoiding important game information.
Use OpenSpeedRun as a browser-source alternative
- Install and configure OpenSpeedRun by following its project README.
- Enable OBS overlay server in OpenSpeedRun’s configuration. The server is disabled by default.
- In OBS, add a Browser source and configure it to connect to the local WebSocket overlay endpoint specified by OpenSpeedRun. Use the project’s supplied overlay example or customize the presentation there.
- Position and size the browser source in your scene, then verify that the timer appears as intended.
Troubleshoot common setup problems
- LiveSplit One is missing from the Sources menu: check that you installed the release for the correct OS and architecture, that it supports your OBS version, and that you followed the platform-specific install instructions. OBS plugins are not universally interchangeable across systems or versions.
- The timer appears, but the wrong run or layout is shown: reopen the LiveSplit One source properties and check the selected split file and layout.
- Hotkeys do not control the timer: open Settings → Hotkeys in OBS and confirm that the desired actions are assigned to the LiveSplit One source.
- The OpenSpeedRun browser source has no overlay: confirm that OBS overlay server is enabled in OpenSpeedRun and that the browser source is using the local WebSocket endpoint from its configuration or documentation.
- The timer obscures gameplay or is hard to read: adjust the source’s position and size in the scene, then review it with the game visible.
What you need—and what you do not
The timer integrations described here are software-based. The cited setup documentation does not establish a capture card, hardware timer, or other physical product as a requirement for adding a speedrun timer overlay. A capture device may be part of a separate gameplay-capture setup, but it is not necessary for the timer integration itself.
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