The current bitrate recommendation for twitch streams is 6000 kbps. You can go higher to about 8000 kbps but risk getting source disabled if it becomes an issue on the network. Here are more details on various resolutions and bitrate settings for you to use on your channel.
x264 or Nvidia NVENC Encoding
- 1080p60
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Framerate: 60, 59.94, 50
- Bitrate: 6000 kbps
- Audio Bitrate: 128 kbps
- 1080p30
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Framerate: 30, 29.97
- Bitrate: 6000 kbps or 4500 kbps
- Audio Bitrate: 128 kbps
- 720p60
- Resolution: 1280 x 720
- Framerate: 60, 59.94, 50
- Bitrate: 6000 kbps
- Audio Bitrate: 128 kbps
- 720p30
- Resolution: 1280 x 720
- Framerate: 30, 29.97
- Bitrate: 6000 kbps or 4500 kbps
- Audio Bitrate: 128 kbps
- Rate Control: CBR
- Keyframe Interval: 2 seconds
- Preset
- x264
- Very fast to Slow
- For this setting test out how far you can go with slow being the best but requires a lot of cpu power. If you set it to slow preset and notice your cpu spiking over 80%, it cant handle it, try medium, then fast, and lastly very fast.
- Nvenc
- Quality
- Quality
- x264
- Profile: Main/High
- B-frames: 2
For OBS Users
Here are some screenshots showing the various location in settings that you need to update for resolution and bitrate.
In the output tab under settings for OBS, you can configure the video bitrate, encoder and audio bitrate.
For video resolution and fps configuration its under the video tab in the settings on obs.
Here is a bitrate recommendation chart based on game type that I created a couple of years ago that still applies today.
High motion / FPS / First person games
Medium motion / RTS Games, usually has scrolling
Low motion / static action, turn based games
Note the colors and what bitrate is recommend for the game type. For some games with high action, we still do not have enough bitrate to stream at 1080p60 at very high quality.
