Technical
Hotkey
A keyboard shortcut you set in OBS for instant actions while gaming — mute mic, switch scene, start a replay. The free alternative to a Stream Deck.
Related terms
- Stream Deck
A small keypad with LCD buttons for switching scenes, muting your mic, or firing sound effects with one tap. A luxury, not a requirement.
- Scene
A full-screen layout in OBS — like 'Starting Soon,' 'Gameplay,' or 'Just Chatting' — that you switch between while live. Each scene is built from sources.
- OBS (Open Broadcaster Software)
The free, open-source app most streamers use to broadcast — it captures your game, webcam and mic, mixes them into scenes, and sends the stream to your platform.