Using OBS Virtual Camera with Microsoft Teams for Shared Desktop Flexibility

Intro

Ever been in a Teams meeting where you wished multiple people could share their screens without the clunky handoff? I recently discovered a smooth workaround using OBS Studio’s Virtual Camera. Here’s how to do it—and why it might just change your next collaboration session.

What is OBS Virtual Camera?
OBS Studio is often known for streaming and recording, but it also has a hidden gem: the Virtual Camera feature. It lets you broadcast whatever’s in your OBS canvas—as if it were your webcam—to platforms like Microsoft Teams.

Why use it in a Teams meeting?
Instead of one person sharing their screen at a time, you can create a dynamic OBS scene that includes content from multiple people—videos, images, screen shares, or even live desktop captures using OBS's Window and Display Capture sources. Everyone contributes to a shared canvas, and OBS pipes that into Teams.

Basic Setup

1. Install OBS Studio (if you haven’t already).
2. Add a Display Capture source for your desktop (or others, if using remote desktop software or HDMI capture).
3. Go to Tools > Start Virtual Camera.
4. In Teams, switch your camera to OBS Virtual Camera.
5. Voilà—you’re broadcasting a curated mix of screens to everyone.

Tips for Collaboration

• Use scenes to switch between presenters.
• Add labels or overlays to clarify whose desktop is being shown.
• Combine with NDI tools or remote capture software for even more flexibility.

Wrap-up
It’s not your standard screen-sharing, but with a bit of creativity, OBS opens new doors for co-presenting in Teams meetings. If you're into tech tricks that make your workflow smoother, this one’s worth exploring.