You start Virtual Camera in OBS, open Teams, Zoom, or the Windows Camera app — and the device is missing. This is not just one broken PC. On Windows, OBS Virtual Camera has a known architectural limit, and the OBS team has said that with some apps it is not expected to work.
Why OBS Virtual Camera disappears from the list
On Windows, OBS Virtual Camera is a DirectShow filter. It registers at runtime and is not a full camera driver. Newer Windows apps lean on Media Foundation and the camera list under Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Cameras.
- Windows Camera and the Connected cameras list typically do not show OBS. That is expected: those surfaces prefer Media Foundation / driver-backed devices. OBS confirms Virtual Camera is not a Media Foundation device, and moving to MF is low priority for the core team.
- Microsoft Teams and Zoom usually support DirectShow and often see OBS. Not always, though: startup order, camera privacy permissions, portable OBS installs without filter registration, or a black frame after updates are common forum reports. Different root cause than Camera — same user pain: no camera in the list, or no picture.
Quick checks if you must stay on OBS
- Install OBS with the full installer, not a portable ZIP, so Virtual Camera can register.
- Click Start Virtual Camera in OBS first, then fully quit and reopen Teams / Zoom (including the tray icon).
- Allow desktop apps to access the camera in Windows privacy settings.
- Do not expect the built-in Camera app to list OBS — that limitation is by design, not a bug due any day now.
AlterCam difference: a real kernel webcam driver
If you need a virtual camera that shows up everywhere — Windows Camera, Settings, Teams, Zoom, Discord, browsers, and the rest — use a solution built on a real driver, not a user-mode filter alone.
AlterCam installs a kernel-mode driver named AlterCam Virtual Camera. It is not a lightweight DirectShow-only filter and not a pyvirtualcam-style wrapper: Windows treats it like a real camera device in Device Manager, so apps discover it the same way they discover a USB webcam.
- Visible in the Windows Camera app and the system camera list
- Reliable in Teams, Zoom, Discord, and other clients
- Use it as a fake webcam, with virtual backgrounds, effects, and overlays
- Rename the device in AlterCam options when a service blocks the default name
Switch from OBS Virtual Camera to AlterCam
- Download and install AlterCam — the setup installs the webcam driver with the app.
- Open AlterCam and pick your source: live camera, video file, screen, or layered mix.
- In Teams / Zoom / Camera, select AlterCam Virtual Camera.
- If the app was already open during install, restart it (or reboot) so it rescans devices.
Bottom line: missing OBS Virtual Camera in Windows Camera is a DirectShow limitation. In Teams/Zoom it may work or flake out. AlterCam solves visibility differently: kernel driver → camera shows up everywhere.