22 Jun 2026 · 5 min read
You do not need OBS to put a prerecorded video on your Steam store page, and you do not need a PC left running. OBS Studio is free and powerful, but broadcasting with it means a machine streaming around the clock. Here is how to do it without OBS, and an honest comparison of the two.
Steam does not care what sends the video. Your store page shows a broadcast for as long as something is pushing a feed to your RTMP upload URL and stream key, so any sender will do. With Loopcast the sender is our server, and the whole setup is four steps:
If you would rather not use a service either, ffmpeg can push a file straight to Steam from a command line with no OBS involved. Encoding a broadcast video shows how to prepare the file. It still needs a computer left on for as long as the broadcast runs, which is the part the rest of this page is about.
With OBS you install and configure an encoder, point it at Steam’s RTMP endpoint, and keep it running. With Loopcast you paste your stream key, upload a video, and start. There is no encoder to tune.
A self-run stream depends on your PC, your power and your home internet all staying up for days at a time. If any one of them blips, your store page goes dark. A hosted broadcast runs from a datacenter and restarts automatically if it ever drops.
OBS itself is free, but the real cost is electricity and a machine tied up for the whole event.
See the full math in how pricing works.
OBS needs babysitting: watch for crashes, restart drops, keep the PC awake and online. Loopcast is upload once and walk away.
If you want true live interaction, like a person on camera or live chat, OBS is the right tool. For an always-on looped trailer on your store page, a hosted broadcast is simpler and cheaper. Start a stream.