OBS Studio 33 released with hardware and plugin updates

The OBS Project has released OBS Studio 33, introducing significant updates to hardware integration, plugin management, and core stability. A major component of the update is the upgrade of the Chromium Embedded Framework from version 127 to 150, modernizing the underlying browser technology used within the software.

For hardware users, the release adds support for the latest NVIDIA Broadcast SDKs, allowing RTX hardware users to utilize AI-driven features such as background noise removal, echo elimination, and camera framing. Additionally, NVIDIA’s NVENC encoder is now enabled on Arm64 systems. To improve reliability, the software now includes proactive encoder validation checks to prevent silent failures when a user attempts to use a hardware profile that is unavailable on their current machine.

The update also implements a complete overhaul of the plugin architecture. Built-in plugins are now stored in a dedicated core directory, while third-party plugins have a revised installation structure. While legacy plugin locations remain functional for now, compatibility is expected to end with version 34.0.

Other improvements include enhanced source snapping in the preview window, refined numerical input fields, and specific fixes for Linux users, such as resolving crashes related to USB microphone disconnections and PipeWire screencast duplication issues.