Best OBS Settings for Kick (2026 Guide)
Quick answer (No BS)
For Kick streaming in 2026, start with 1080p at 60 FPS, 6000–6500 kbps, and NVENC (new). Kick's infrastructure is closer to Twitch than YouTube, so stability matters more than pushing high bitrates.
Kick is still evolving as a platform, and its streaming backend behaves more like Twitch than YouTube. That means conservative settings are safer — especially for smaller channels.
This guide focuses on stable Kick streams without unnecessary quality risks.
Recommended Base Settings
Video:
- Base (Canvas): 1920×1080
- Output (Scaled): 1920×1080
- FPS: 60
Output:
- Bitrate: 5500–6500 kbps
- Encoder: NVENC (new)
- Rate Control: CBR
- Keyframe Interval: 2
Audio:
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
- Bitrate: 160 kbps
How Kick Differs from Twitch & YouTube
- Better bitrate tolerance than Twitch (slightly)
- Less forgiving than YouTube
- Fewer safety nets for buffering
When in doubt, lower bitrate before lowering resolution.
Encoder Choice for Kick
- NVENC strongly recommended
- x264 only if CPU is strong and GPU is weak
When to Lower Your Settings on Kick
Lower settings if you see:
- Dropped frames
- Encoding lag
- Viewers reporting buffering
Fix order:
- Bitrate
- FPS
- Resolution
FAQ
Is 60 FPS required on Kick?
Not required, but recommended for games.
Can I stream at 1440p on Kick?
Not recommended yet — stick to 1080p.