How to multistream Xbox, PlayStation and Switch games
To multistream a console, bring its picture into OBS on a computer with a capture card, then send OBS to Upstream. The capture card supplies the picture, OBS builds the stream, and Upstream sends it to up to 10 platforms at once.
Consoles can't do this on their own. A PS5 broadcasts to the services linked to it, an Xbox through provider apps, and Nintendo doesn't document a broadcast feature for the Switch. None of them has a field for a custom server like Upstream.
- Xbox, PS5, PS4, Switch
- Free plan works
Before you start
- An Upstream account (the free plan is enough to test)
- A capture card and an HDMI cable
- OBS Studio on a computer
- The platforms you want to go live on
Step 1
Get your server URL and stream key from Upstream
In Upstream, press Create stream, choose Multistream from OBS (it works for any RTMP app or device) and add your platforms, up to 10. The stream opens in Live Studio with the RTMP input on. For a stream you already have, open Live Studio, Source and set Live Source to RTMP.
- RTMP Server URL
rtmp://ingest.upstream.so:1935/live- Stream Key
- Unique to each stream. Copy it from Upstream and keep it private.
Step 2
Connect the console to a capture card
Plug the console's HDMI output into the capture card's HDMI input, and the capture card into your computer. If your card has an HDMI out (pass-through), connect your TV or monitor there so you can play without delay.
PS5 and PS4: Sony says capture devices work once HDCP is turned off. On a PS5 it is under Settings, System, HDMI. Without that, the capture card shows a black picture.
Step 3
Add the capture card in OBS
In OBS, under Sources, click + and add a Video Capture Device. Pick your capture card as the device. If you hear no game sound, add the capture card's audio as well.
Step 4
Send OBS to Upstream
In OBS, open Settings, Stream, set Service to Custom..., paste the RTMP Server URL into Server and the Stream Key into Stream Key, then press OK. The OBS guide has screenshots and the output settings that work well with Upstream.
Step 5
Start the stream, then go live
Start the stream in Upstream first, then start streaming from OBS. Live Studio switches from Not connected to Excellent, Good or Poor connection when the feed arrives, and Upstream sends it to every platform on the stream.
Console broadcast or capture card?
If one platform is enough, a console's own broadcast works. On a PS5, press the Create button, choose Broadcast and pick a linked service such as YouTube or Twitch. On an Xbox, install the provider's app, then open the guide, Capture & share, Live streaming.
For more than one platform, or one the console doesn't offer, use the capture card. The Switch's own capture only saves clips of up to 30 seconds to the Album, so a capture card is the way to stream it at all.
Troubleshooting
The PS5 picture is black in OBS
Turn off HDCP, the HDMI copy protection, under Settings, System, HDMI on the PS5. Sony says capture devices need it off.
I can't find Video Capture Device in OBS
Click + under Sources. On Windows and macOS it is called Video Capture Device, and on Linux Video Capture Device (V4L2).
OBS shows the game but there is no sound
Open the capture source's properties and check its audio settings, such as Audio Output Mode or Use custom audio device. Cards pass sound differently.
For connection problems that aren't specific to OBS, such as Not connected, a poor connection or a leaked key, see the full RTMP troubleshooting list.
FAQ
What does a capture card do for streaming?
It brings the console's picture and sound into your computer, where OBS uses it as a Video Capture Device and streams it.
How do I stream a Nintendo Switch to Twitch?
With a capture card and OBS. Send OBS to Upstream and add Twitch, plus any other platforms, in Upstream.
Can I multistream from a PS5?
Not from the PS5 itself, which broadcasts to one linked service. Capture it into OBS, send OBS to Upstream, and add your platforms there.
Set it up now
The free plan includes 24 hours of streaming a month and up to 10 of 30+ supported platforms.