There are many streaming software’s out there on the market such as OBS Studio, Streamlabs and Xsplit Broadcaster. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter which one you use to stream your gameplay, what does matter is setting it all up correctly.
Setting up everything correctly from the start allows you to stream confidently without running into constant problems when you are live. In this guide, we are going to show you how to setup Xsplit Gamecaster completely from start to finish.
Let’s jump in and get started.
Downloading XSplit & Connecting Your Accounts
The first thing we need to do is download Xsplit and log in to our streaming platform of choice.
Download Xsplit Broadcaster and install the application on your computer by going through the installation wizard. Once installed and you open the application you will need to connect Xsplit to your streaming service of choice.
To do this follow the steps below:
- Click on Broadcast in the Top Bar
- Select “Set Up A New Output” –> Twitch (Or your streaming platform of choice)
- Click on “Authorize XSplit To Use Twitch”
- Log In to your Twitch Account. You have now successfully connected your account to Xsplit
How To Set Up Scenes In XSplit
There are a few things you need to do when setting up a scene in XSplit. Below is a list of the main things you should do when setting up your scene.
Set Your Canvas Resolution In XSplit
The first thing we want to do is set the resolution we will be recording and streaming in. You will likely want to go for 1080p here as that is the standard in the industry right now. Follow the steps below to set your resolution.
- Open Xsplit
- Click the drop-down in the top right-hand corner. Select Resolution –> Your desired Resolution. As mentioned 1920 x 1080 is the standard to go for. If your PC has low-end specs, you may want to go for 1280 x 720. I would only choose this if you are experiencing lag.
You have now successfully set your resolution in XSplit.
How To Add An Overlay To XSplit
If you’re setting up XSplit for streaming, chances are you will want some form of stream overlay. This is usually made up of multiple scenes, alerts, borders and more. It allows you to brand the look of your own stream.
There are multiple ways you can do this in XSplit:
- Adding PNG Files manually
- Using Streamelements to add Overlays To Xsplit
Personally, I prefer to use Streamelements as it allows you to add a complete overlay and alerts all in one. They also have multiple free overlays available on their site. Let’s go through both methods.
Adding An Overlay Manually To XSplit
If you have made a custom overlay or downloaded an overlay online you can use this method to add it to your stream.
For example, I have an example overlay saved on my hard drive. To add it to a scene in XSplit follow the steps below:
- Open XSplit and select the scene you want to edit in the left-hand corner
- Once you have selected the correct scene, navigate to “Add Source” in the bottom left-hand corner
- Select “Image File” from the sources menu and select the file you have saved on your drive. Click “Open”
- Your overlay will now appear in your scene. You can adjust the size by dragging the corners of the image.
You have now successfully added an overlay to your stream in XSplit.
If you plan on having multiple scenes on your stream, for example, gameplay scene, intermission scene, just chatting scene and more, then you will need to add your overlays to each specific scene manually.
Adding An Overlay To XSplit Using Streamelements
This is my preferred method of adding an overlay to XSplit as it also allows us to instantly add alerts for followers, subscriptions etc as Streamelements is connected to our streaming platform.
If you do not know how to use Stream Elements follow our guide on How To Set Up Overlays On Streamelements before continuing with the tutorial.
Once you have set up your overlay in Stream Elements using the guide above, follow the steps below to import your overlay and alerts into XSplit.
- Open XSplit on your computer and open Streamelements in your browser
- Go to your Stream Elements Dashboard and Navigate to My Overlays
- Click on the 3 dots beside the overlay you want to add to XSplit and click “Copy URL”
- Once you have copied the URL go back to XSplit and navigate to the scene you want to add the overlay to.
- Click on “Add Source” –> Webpage
- Paste your URL from Streamelements into the URL box and click on OK
- You will now see your overlay in XSplit. Here you will likely need to drag out the box to the full resolution of the canvas so you can see everything in your overlay. You can see mine below.
As you can see this overlay is importing my latest subs and followers etc from Twitch as it is linked through Streamelements.
You will now need to go through and import each scene into XSplit using the same method.
How To Add Your Webcam To XSplit
Next up is adding your webcam to split. This step is simple. Make sure your webcam or camera is connected to your PC and follow the steps below:
- Open Xsplit and navigate to the scene you want to add your webcam too.
- Click on Add Source in the bottom left-hand corner
- Navigate to Camera/Capture card and then select your camera from the drop-down list
- Your camera will now appear in your scene. You can click and drag it to wherever you want. You can drag on the corners to resize the webcam. If you want to move the webcam behind your overlay drag it below the overlay in your sources section.
You have now successfully added your webcam to your scene.
How To Add Your Microphone To XSplit
Next up is your Microphone. One of the most important things when it comes to streaming is having good audio. Xsplit will automatically add your default system microphone when you launch the program. You will want to ensure this is your main microphone.
- Open XSplit and click on the audio mixer
- Here you will see your current microphones. Click on the settings icon.
- Click on the settings icon again beside your microphone name
- Here we can select our desired microphone under “Microphone”. Select the microphone you want to use from the dropdown box and click Apply.
Your main microphone will now be ready to go for streaming. Make sure to hit the unmute button before going live.
How To Add Game Capture To XSplit
Next up you will want to add your game capture to XSplit. If you are streaming and gaming on your PC this will be a game capture source. If you are using a capture card to stream from a console, this will be a Camera/Capture Card source.
Follow the steps below to get your game footage into your scene:
- Open XSplit and navigate to the scene you want to add game capture to
- Click on the Add Source button in the bottom left-hand corner
- Select “Game-Capture” –> Auto Detect
- Wait a few seconds and your game will appear in your scene. You can click and drag on the edges to resize your game. You will likely want to drag it to the bottom layer in your sources and have your webcam and overlay above it.
You are now essentially ready to stream if you want to. To go live just click on the “Stream” button at the top of XSplit.
You may want to make some more adjustments in XSplit. If so, read on for some extra features you may be interested in.
How To Switch Scenes In XSplit
If you want to switch scenes in XSplit you just click on the scene buttons in the bottom right of XSplit.
When you click on one of these buttons it will switch to the selected scene. If you want to add a new scene click on the + button.
A better way to switch scenes is with hotkeys. If you want to use hotkeys read on.
How To Use Hotkeys In Xsplit
Hotkeys allow you to use a key on your keyboard or Stream deck to take an action. This action might be changing scenes, playing sounds or muting yourself. Whatever it is, hotkeys are a great way to take these actions efficiently.
To add hotkeys in Xsplit follow the steps below:
- Open XSplit and navigate to the top bar
- Click on Tools –> Settings
- In the settings section navigate to Hotkeys
- Here you can see all of the different actions you can use hotkeys for. Click on the action you want to set a hotkey for.
- Select the key from the drop-down that you want to use. If you want to use a device outside of your Windows keyboard you will need to use the advanced mode.
- Once you have set up your hotkeys click “Apply” and save your settings.
Your hotkeys will now be live and active for you to use inside XSplit.
Can I Record Footage With XSplit Game Capture?
Yes, you can both stream and record footage with XSplit. To do this just click on the record button at the top of XSplit. Your footage will start immediately recording.
Can I Record & Stream At The Same Time On XSplit?
Yes, you can record and stream at the same time inside XSplit as long as your PC is powerful enough. If you are experiencing lag while streaming and recording at the same time, it is likely that your machine isn’t powerful enough to do both.
If that is the case I would recommend streaming and then downloading your VODs after the stream if you want the footage.
Wrapping Up
You have now fully set up XSplit for streaming and are ready to push the go-live button. You have everything you need ready to go. Hopefully, you have a smooth streaming experience using this guide. XSplit is a great piece of streaming software, so you are in good hands.
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