Real-time face effects for streaming

What your audience will see

Look at the mouth while the subject talks and the effect placement as the head turns. A real-time effect needs to hold up during your usual movements, not just in a still image. For a first look on your own camera, try the browser demo; it does not create a system-wide virtual camera.

Install once, then add one OBS source

1. Run the Windows installer.Download v1.6.23 below and close apps using your camera. Follow the setup wizard and approve the administrator prompt if you are authorized to install software. Setup registers the virtual camera; a managed work PC may need IT approval.
2. Create an account and sign in.Use the first-launch sign-in prompt. If you are new, open the account page to register, then sign in to the desktop app with the same account. A paid plan is not required to try the free effects.
3. Check the effect before opening OBS.Select your physical webcam in FacefxLive, not its own virtual camera. Choose a free effect such as aging or cat and confirm that the preview follows your face. Start with a 720p camera mode.
4. Enable Virtual Camera in FacefxLive.Check the control in the top bar and select 1280 × 720 as the virtual output. Keep FacefxLive running throughout your recording or broadcast.
5. Add a Video Capture Device in OBS.Open or restart OBS. In Sources → + → Video Capture Device, create a source and choose FacefxLive from the Device list. This is a camera input, not a Browser Source or Display Capture. OBS's own “Start Virtual Camera” button is not needed for this connection.
6. Frame the source and make a test recording.Size the webcam source in your scene. Keep your microphone as a separate OBS audio source. Record yourself speaking, turning and changing effects, then play the recording back before going live.

Check your computer and capture setup

Operating system

Windows 10 or 11, x64, with Windows OBS Studio. This desktop virtual-camera workflow is not available on macOS, Linux or phones.

Webcam

A built-in or USB camera recognized by Windows, with camera access enabled for desktop apps. Begin at 720p. Use even light in front of you rather than a bright window behind you.

Graphics

Rendering requires OpenGL 3.3. DirectML GPU acceleration also requires a compatible DirectX 12 GPU and driver. CPU fallback is not a promise of stream-ready frame rates.

Available resources

Games, OBS encoding and effects share CPU/GPU resources. There is no published, validated RAM or GPU-model minimum in this guide; test the free edition with your actual streaming workload.

Connectivity

Registration, sign-in, membership verification and updates need a connection. Normal face-effect processing is local. OBS sends video to your streaming service only according to your OBS output settings.

Meeting apps that accept a Windows virtual camera may also use FacefxLive. Device discovery and platform policies vary, so confirm compatibility in each app you intend to use.

Choose a plan based on the output you need

Free — prove the setup works

After registration and sign-in, use selected built-in effects such as aging, cat and Halloween Evil Clown. Virtual-camera output carries a watermark and is limited to 720p on the short edge.

Pro — the built-in library, without the watermark

An active, online-verified Pro account unlocks all built-in desktop effects and removes desktop watermarks. Virtual-camera output is still limited to 720p.

Pro+ — add 1080p virtual-camera output

Includes Pro features plus 1920 × 1080 or 1080 × 1920 virtual output. Actual image detail and frame rate still depend on the camera, computer and concurrent workload.

See current plans and pricing for prices, validity periods and other benefits. Credit-based photo/video file processing is separate from the live virtual-camera workflow described here. A free download does not mean every feature is free.

Run these checks before every stream

The device is missing from OBS

Quit OBS completely and reopen it after installation. If FacefxLive is still absent, close both apps and rerun the official installer to register the camera component. Avoid unofficial driver downloads.

The source is black, frozen or unfiltered

Confirm that the FacefxLive preview is moving and Virtual Camera is enabled. Check that OBS selected FacefxLive rather than your raw webcam, and that any custom resolution matches. Close another app if it has exclusive access to the physical camera.

It works alone but stutters with a game

Reduce the camera input and virtual output resolution, then recheck with the full scene active. Inspect OBS statistics for rendering or encoding overload. A paid plan unlocks features; it does not fix driver issues or guarantee a frame rate.