Use OBS Studio when you need editable separation. Add the game as its own audio source, add your microphone as a separate input source, assign those sources to different recording tracks, and enable the tracks in OBS’s output settings. Keep a combined mix on track 1 if the finished file must play correctly in ordinary video players, which often play only one audio track.
This workflow is documented for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11. Xbox Game Bar can make quick clips with system audio and a microphone toggle, but its documented controls do not provide the same independently editable game and microphone tracks.
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What “separate audio” means in OBS
There are two separate decisions in OBS:
- Sources: the inputs OBS listens to, such as the game’s application audio and your microphone.
- Tracks: the audio mixes OBS writes into the recording file.
Adding the game and microphone as two sources does not automatically create two editable tracks. You must assign each source to the tracks you want and then enable those tracks for recording. In an editor, separate tracks let you lower game volume, mute commentary, clean the microphone, or replace one mix without changing the other.
A practical layout is:
| Track | Contents | Why use it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Game plus microphone | Compatibility with players that play only the first audio track |
| 2 | Game only | Independent game-volume control in an editor |
| 3 | Microphone only | Independent voice editing, muting, or processing |
The track numbers are an example rather than a requirement. What matters is that the game and microphone are present on different tracks. If you do not need a one-track compatibility mix, you can record only the separate tracks.
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Requirements and version limits
| Item | What is documented |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 version 2004 or later, or Windows 11, for per-application audio capture |
| OBS feature history | Per-application audio sources are described from OBS Studio 28 onward; Game Capture and Window Capture audio inclusion uses “Capture Audio (BETA)” in OBS 30.1 or later |
| Game video | Game Capture is the Windows source intended for 3D games; it offers fullscreen, specific-window, and hotkey modes |
| Microphone | Any microphone or headset input that Windows exposes as an audio device |
| Editing check | A video editor that can display and select multiple audio tracks is needed to verify independent tracks |
You do not need to buy a particular microphone for this method. OBS can select an existing microphone or headset input as an Audio Input Capture source.
Complete OBS setup
1. Install OBS and run its configuration wizard
- Install and open OBS Studio.
- Run the Auto-Configuration Wizard when prompted, or open it from the Tools menu. Choose recording-oriented settings and let OBS consider your available hardware.
- Stay on the scene you will use for gameplay. A scene is the container in which your video and audio sources are arranged.
Before a long session, the wizard’s recommendations are only a starting point. A short test recording is the reliable way to confirm that your game, microphone, encoder, and tracks behave as expected.
2. Add the gameplay picture
- In the Sources dock, select the plus button and choose Game Capture.
- Choose a capture mode. Fullscreen mode targets a full-screen game; specific-window mode targets a selected running game; hotkey mode lets you control capture with a shortcut.
- If you use specific-window mode, start the game before selecting it so OBS can see the window.
- Confirm that the game image appears in the preview. If it does not, leave the source in place and use the blank-video troubleshooting steps later rather than adding several duplicate capture sources.
Game Capture is the Windows source OBS documents for 3D games. Window Capture is another option when you need to target a normal application window.
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Choose one of these routes. Do not run both for the same game, or you can create a duplicate signal and an echo.
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Option A: audio on Game Capture or Window Capture
- Select the Game Capture or Window Capture source in Sources.
- Open its properties.
- Enable Capture Audio (BETA). This option is documented for OBS 30.1 and later.
- Apply the change and watch the game source’s meter in the Audio Mixer while the game is producing sound.
Option B: Application Audio Capture
- In Sources, select the plus button and choose Application Audio Capture (BETA).
- Select the game window or application from the list.
- Apply the source and confirm that its mixer meter moves independently of the microphone meter.
Per-application capture is documented for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11. The feature is described from OBS Studio 28 onward. If the game is not listed or produces no meter activity, use the compatibility fallback in the troubleshooting section.
4. Add the microphone as a separate source
- In the Sources dock, select the plus button.
- Choose Audio Input Capture.
- Create a new source, or select an existing one for the scene.
- Choose your microphone or headset input device.
- Apply the setting and speak while watching the microphone meter.
Keep the microphone source distinct from the game source. This separation is what lets you route commentary to its own recording track later.
5. Prevent duplicate audio and echo
Echo usually means the same device is entering OBS twice.
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- If you use Application Audio Capture for the game, disable the global Desktop Audio source so the game is not captured once through the application source and again through the desktop mix.
- If you capture a device directly in a scene, disable that same device under Settings → Audio to prevent the global device and the scene source from both feeding the mixer.
- Do not add both Capture Audio (BETA) on Game Capture and a separate Application Audio Capture source for the same game.
After changing a source, speak and trigger a game sound separately. You should be able to identify which mixer meter responds to each event.
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6. Assign game and microphone to different tracks
- In the Audio Mixer, select the gear icon and open Advanced Audio Properties.
- Find the row for the game source and the row for Audio Input Capture.
- Assign the game to its own track, such as track 2, and the microphone to another, such as track 3.
- If ordinary-player compatibility matters, check track 1 for both sources as well. Track 1 then contains the combined mix, while tracks 2 and 3 preserve the isolated signals.
- Close Advanced Audio Properties after checking the routing.
Track assignment is independent of the source list. A source can feed more than one track, which is why the same game and microphone can appear in the combined track and their individual tracks.
7. Enable the tracks in recording output
- Open Settings → Output.
- Switch to the recording section and enable every track you assigned in Advanced Audio Properties.
- Check that the selected recording format supports the multitrack workflow you intend to edit.
A track that is checked in Advanced Audio Properties but not enabled in Output will not be written to the recording. Conversely, enabling a track does not put sound on it unless at least one source is assigned to that track.
8. Record to MKV and test before playing for hours
- In the recording settings, choose MKV as the recording format. OBS recommends it because an ungraceful stop is less likely to corrupt the entire recording.
- Start a short recording.
- Make a deliberate game sound, speak into the microphone, and stop the recording.
- Open the file in your video editor. Confirm that the game-only and microphone-only tracks can be selected independently.
- If you need an MP4 afterward, use OBS’s remux function to convert the completed MKV rather than recording directly to a format that is more vulnerable to an interrupted write.
The mixer meters are useful checks, but they do not prove that every intended track was written. Inspecting a short file in the target editor catches routing mistakes before a long session.
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Check the file in an editor
- Import the recording into an editor that exposes multiple audio streams or tracks.
- Play the game-only track with the microphone track muted. You should hear game sound without commentary.
- Mute the game-only track and play the microphone track. You should hear your voice without the game.
- Play the combined track, if you recorded one, to confirm it contains both sources.
If the editor shows only one stream, first check that multiple tracks were enabled under Settings → Output and that the sources were assigned to those same tracks. A correct-looking mixer during recording cannot restore a track that was never enabled for output.
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Use the separate tracks in post-production
- Lower game audio under dialogue without changing your voice level.
- Mute commentary for a clean gameplay version.
- Apply voice processing to the microphone track only.
- Cut a cough, keyboard noise, or room sound from the microphone without cutting the game.
- Create alternate exports by changing the balance instead of recording the session again.
When sharing a file directly rather than editing it, the combined track is usually the safest playback choice because many basic players play only one audio track at a time.
Xbox Game Bar: convenient for quick clips
Windows 10 and Windows 11 include Xbox Game Bar recording. Microsoft’s documented controls let you include system audio by choosing All in Capturing settings, toggle the microphone with Win+Alt+M, and start or stop recording with Win+Alt+R. The resulting MP4 is saved in VideosCaptures.
- Open Xbox Game Bar and its Capturing settings.
- Set audio capture to All when system audio should be included.
- Use Win+Alt+M to turn microphone capture on or off.
- Press Win+Alt+R to start recording, then press it again to stop.
- Open the MP4 from VideosCaptures.
These controls are useful for a fast clip, but the documented Game Bar instructions describe including system audio and toggling the microphone, not assigning game and microphone to independently editable recording tracks. Choose OBS when post-production separation is a requirement.
| Need | Better fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| One-key clip with minimal setup | Xbox Game Bar | Built into Windows with a microphone shortcut and automatic MP4 output |
| Game and voice on editable tracks | OBS Studio | Separate sources, explicit track routing, enabled recording tracks, and a testable workflow |
| File that plays in a basic player | OBS with track 1 combined | Players commonly use the first audio track only |
Troubleshooting by symptom
The game meter is silent
- Confirm the game is running and producing sound.
- Check that the selected application in Application Audio Capture is the actual game window.
- If using Game Capture or Window Capture audio, verify that Capture Audio (BETA) is enabled and that you are on OBS 30.1 or later.
- Make sure the global Desktop Audio source is not disabled when it is the only route you intended to use, but do not re-enable it when it would duplicate an application source.
- Make a short recording after each change and inspect the file.
The microphone meter is silent
- Open the Audio Input Capture source properties and select the intended microphone rather than an unused input.
- Speak while watching the meter; a moving meter confirms that OBS is receiving the device.
- Check that the microphone was not muted in the mixer or assigned only to a track that is disabled in Output.
- Repeat the short-recording test before starting a full session.
The recording has an echo or doubled game sound
Disable one of the duplicate routes. Application Audio Capture plus global Desktop Audio is a common combination that captures the same game twice. Likewise, a microphone selected as a scene Audio Input Capture source should not also be selected as the same global device under Settings → Audio.
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The game video is blank
Check the Game Capture mode and the selected window. The Game Capture guide points to its troubleshooting guidance rather than one universal fix, because the correct remedy depends on the game and capture mode. Confirm the game image first, then verify the game and microphone meters and make a short recording.
Application Audio Capture does not work with this program
OBS notes that some application audio output is incompatible with Application Audio Capture. A documented fallback uses a virtual cable:
- Install and configure a virtual cable device such as VB-Cable.
- In the Windows Volume Mixer, route the affected application to CABLE Input.
- In OBS, add Audio Input Capture and select CABLE Output.
- Use the device’s Listen option as described in OBS’s application-audio guidance if you need to monitor the routed signal.
- Watch the OBS meter and make a short recording to verify the route.
This workaround adds routing steps and is a compatibility fallback, not a guarantee that every application will be captured successfully.
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- Assuming two sources equal two tracks: source creation and track assignment are separate stages.
- Forgetting Output track enablement: an assignment in Advanced Audio Properties is ineffective if that track is disabled for recording.
- Recording only isolated tracks when broad playback matters: include both sources on track 1 for a combined mix.
- Testing only the live mixer: inspect a short recorded file in the editor you will actually use.
- Adding several audio routes at once: duplicate desktop, application, and device sources make echoes difficult to diagnose.
- Using MP4 as the only safety copy: MKV reduces the risk that an interrupted recording corrupts the entire file; remux after recording when MP4 delivery is required.
A reliable pre-session checklist
- Windows is running a supported version for per-application capture.
- The game video appears through Game Capture or Window Capture.
- The game has exactly one intended audio route.
- The microphone appears as Audio Input Capture and its meter responds to speech.
- Game and microphone are assigned to different tracks.
- Every required track is enabled under Settings → Output.
- Track 1 includes both sources if the file must play in a basic player.
- The recording format is set to MKV for safer interruption handling.
- A short sample opens in the target editor with independently selectable tracks.
Which method should you choose?
Choose OBS Studio if your goal is a video with editable game and microphone tracks, independent volume control, or a repeatable recording setup. Its additional steps—source creation, duplicate-audio prevention, track routing, output enablement, and a test file—are what provide control.
Choose Xbox Game Bar when speed matters more than post-production separation and a conventional MP4 clip is sufficient. It can include system audio and toggle the microphone, but the documented workflow does not expose the isolated tracks that OBS provides.
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