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Freedom251 › Blog › aspect ratio

How to Set Up OBS with an Ultrawide Monitor

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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Set OBS’s Base (Canvas) Resolution to the space you want to arrange sources in, then set Output (Scaled) Resolution to the size you want viewers to receive. If you want the full ultrawide picture, use an ultrawide canvas and output. If you want a standard 16:9 frame, build a 16:9 scene and deliberately crop or compose your ultrawide source inside it. Don’t stretch an ultrawide image into 16:9, because OBS warns that stretching distorts the source.

Setup steps

  1. Set the canvas. Open Settings → Video and set Base (Canvas) Resolution to the composition size you want. The OBS Studio Overview Guide describes it as the space used to fit your sources, usually set to your monitor or game resolution.
  2. Set the output. Set Output (Scaled) Resolution to the final stream or recording size. It can be lower than the canvas, which makes OBS scale the image down. For a simple native ultrawide recording, Elgato’s OBS example sets both fields to the same ultrawide resolution, such as 3440×1440.
  3. Add your source. OBS supports display, window, game, image, text and capture-device sources. Position and resize the source in the preview using its bounding box.
  4. Crop if needed. Hold Alt while dragging a source edge, or use the transform menu for precise values.
  5. Check the framing. In a 16:9 scene, either crop to the part of the ultrawide image that matters or fill unused space with overlays, a camera or other scene content.
  6. Test. Record a short local clip or run a test stream. Check framing, sharpness, frame rate and system load before going live.

Choose the output shape

Goal Approach Trade-off
Preserve the full ultrawide image Ultrawide canvas with matching ultrawide output dimensions (for example 3440×1440 for both). 16:9 remains the common shape across viewing devices and major platforms, according to the OBS Project’s Aspect Ratio Guide. Viewers on standard screens may see unused space or a smaller image, depending on the player.
Reach a conventional 16:9 audience 16:9 output (such as 1920×1080 or 1280×720). Crop or pan the source to the important central area, or add scene elements to use the extra space. Cropping discards part of the original image, and designing a layout takes setup time.
Avoid distortion Keep the source’s aspect ratio and accept cropping or empty canvas. Stretching mismatched content distorts and blurs it; OBS generally advises against it.

The OBS Project’s Aspect Ratio Guide (published November 27, 2021) says: “For best results, it is recommended that you produce your content at a 16:9 resolution such as 1920×1080 or 1280×720.” For people without a 16:9 monitor, it adds: “it is recommended that you fill the ‘black space’ with other content, such as images, overlays, cameras etc.”

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Source fit and scaling

Set the canvas first

Changing the Base (Canvas) Resolution later can force you to realign or resize sources. Changing only the Output (Scaled) Resolution doesn’t. Decide on the canvas with your final layout in mind, then fine-tune positions.

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Fix soft scaling

If an image looks soft after scaling, the OBS aspect-ratio guide suggests trying a different scale filter, such as bicubic. It points to point or area filtering for keeping retro or pixel-art content sharp.

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Performance and output checks

  • Frame rate: OBS notes that 60 fps streaming can be far more taxing than 30 fps and recommends testing your system ahead of time. An ultrawide canvas has more pixels to process than 1080p, so test at the exact settings you plan to use.
  • Downscale filter: NVIDIA’s NVENC OBS guide says a downscale filter can improve sharpness when the output is smaller than the canvas, at the cost of some extra encoder work.
  • GPU contention: If GPU utilization is high, NVIDIA suggests capping the game’s frame rate or lowering game settings so the encoder has headroom.

These are vendor suggestions, not guaranteed fixes. The best resolution and encoder settings depend on your target service, upload speed, game load, GPU, and whether you’re streaming or recording. Check your platform’s current limits for resolution and bitrate directly, as they change.

When you need a capture card

You don’t need a capture card to use OBS with an ultrawide PC monitor, since OBS has built-in display and game capture sources. A card matters when you bring in video from another device. Elgato’s instructions for the Game Capture 4K X (updated June 1, 2026) show the workflow: match the OBS Base and Output resolutions to the ultrawide mode, add a Video Capture Device source, select the 4K X, and choose a custom ultrawide resolution. Check that both the capture device and the source device support the format you want. This example doesn’t show that a card improves ordinary PC capture.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I set OBS to 3440×1440?

Go to Settings → Video and enter 3440×1440 as both the Base (Canvas) Resolution and the Output (Scaled) Resolution. This gives a native ultrawide recording with no scaling. Test your system load first, as it has more pixels than 1080p.

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How do I stream 21:9 gameplay to a 16:9 audience?

Use a 16:9 canvas and output, then crop the ultrawide source (Alt-drag its edge) to the important area. Alternatively, keep more of the image and fill the leftover space with overlays or a camera. Avoid stretching.

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