To run Tabletop Simulator gameplay as a YouTube Live stream, send either a live capture of the game or a prerecorded gameplay video through an encoder such as OBS Studio to a YouTube live event. A live capture shows a session as it happens; a prerecorded rerun plays a recording without requiring an active game session. The setup differs mainly in the encoder’s video source and whether your installed version can repeat a file reliably.
Choose live gameplay or a prerecorded rerun
Capture a live session
Use this route when players will be playing during the broadcast or you want to comment on the game as it happens. The computer must run Tabletop Simulator and the encoder at the same time, so test performance before announcing the stream.
Replay a recording
Use a local video file as the encoder’s source when the audience should watch an earlier session rather than a live game. Valve’s Steamworks documentation confirms that OBS can stream existing video files (Steamworks livestreaming documentation). The documentation reviewed here does not establish the exact current OBS control for repeating a media source indefinitely; check the controls in your installed OBS version and test a full repeat before relying on unattended playback.
Check YouTube eligibility before setup
YouTube says a channel must be verified and have no live-streaming restrictions in the preceding 90 days. Streamers must be at least 16 years old. First-time activation can take up to 24 hours, so enable live streaming well before the planned event (YouTube live-streaming eligibility; YouTube encoder setup).
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Set up the game and encoder
- Choose the source. For live play, open Tabletop Simulator and add a source in OBS that captures the game or display. For a rerun, add the prepared local video file as a source and verify its repeat behavior in your installed OBS version. Set up microphone or other audio sources only if needed.
- Create the YouTube event. In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or schedule a live stream. Select the encoder workflow and copy the stream URL and stream key provided for the event.
- Connect OBS. In OBS, open the stream settings and enter YouTube’s stream URL and key. Treat the key as a password: YouTube says it is the credential that lets the encoder send the feed, so do not publish or share it.
- Configure and test the picture and sound. Confirm the intended game or video is visible, audio meters move when expected, and the preview is not silent or cropped. Send a test feed and check the Live Control Room preview before starting the event.
- Start the broadcast. Start streaming in the encoder, wait for YouTube to receive the feed and show its preview, then follow the Live Control Room prompts to start the live event. When finished, end the event and stop the encoder.
- Check the replay when applicable. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; do not assume a longer event will have a complete archive.
YouTube’s encoder workflow is intended for gameplay and screen sharing as well as external audio or video equipment, so a separate capture card is not established as a requirement for this same-computer setup. Optional microphones, cameras, or hardware encoders depend on the production you want (YouTube encoder setup).
Choose encoder settings and upload capacity
Use settings supported by both your encoder and internet connection. YouTube recommends RTMPS for secure ingestion, constant bitrate (CBR), and a two-second keyframe interval; it says the interval should not exceed four seconds. Supported video codecs include H.264, HEVC, and AV1, and frame rates up to 60 fps are supported. These are platform recommendations and supported options, not a reason to choose a bitrate your connection cannot sustain (YouTube encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions).
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- Choose resolution and bitrate for the output you actually intend to send, and verify the encoder is using that output.
- Check your upload capacity under realistic conditions. YouTube recommends upload bandwidth with 20% capacity beyond the total stream bitrate; leave that headroom rather than allocating the entire connection to the stream (YouTube streaming tips).
- Watch the YouTube preview and monitor audio and video quality during the broadcast. A successful connection indicator alone does not confirm that viewers can see and hear the intended content.
Check whether the computer can run both applications
Steam’s Tabletop Simulator listing gives minimum game requirements, not a guarantee of smooth simultaneous gameplay and encoding. For Windows, it lists 64-bit Windows 10 version 21H1 or newer, 4 GB RAM, DX10-capable graphics, broadband internet, and 3 GB storage. Its listed minimum operating systems also include macOS 12+ and Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04 (64-bit). OBS cautions that meeting system requirements does not guarantee streaming performance (Tabletop Simulator on Steam; OBS system requirements).
Run the game and encoder together in a private or unannounced test. If the game stutters, the stream drops frames, or audio breaks up, reduce the output resolution or bitrate, close unnecessary applications, or use a computer with more available capacity before the public event.
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Troubleshoot common problems
- You cannot start a live event: Check channel verification, age eligibility, and whether the channel has a live-streaming restriction. If this is the first activation, YouTube says it can take up to 24 hours.
- YouTube does not receive the feed: Recheck the stream URL and key in OBS, confirm the encoder is set to the YouTube encoder workflow, and make sure streaming is active. If the key may have been exposed, replace it in YouTube Studio and update the encoder.
- The preview is blank or shows the wrong content: Check the selected capture or media source in OBS, confirm the game or file is open, and inspect the preview before starting the event.
- The recording stops instead of repeating: Do not assume a media file loops automatically. Verify the repeat control in your installed OBS version and test the transition from the file’s end back to its beginning.
- The stream buffers or loses quality: Check upload capacity against the total stream bitrate, preserve YouTube’s recommended 20% headroom, and lower bitrate or resolution if the connection cannot sustain the chosen output.
- The game or stream is choppy: Test both applications running together. The game’s minimum specifications alone do not establish that the computer can also encode smoothly.
- The archived replay is incomplete or absent: YouTube’s automatic archive statement applies to streams under 12 hours; do not rely on it for a longer broadcast.
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