Minimum System Requirements
macOS
- macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
- 4GB RAM minimum
- Intel or Apple Silicon processor
- 500MB free disk space
Windows
- Windows 10 (64-bit) or later
- 4GB RAM minimum
- Intel/AMD processor
- 500MB free disk space
Linux
- Ubuntu 18.04 or equivalent
- 4GB RAM minimum
- x64 processor
- 500MB free disk space
Recommended Specifications
For the best experience, especially when working with high-resolution recordings:- Processor: Multi-core CPU (4+ cores recommended)
- RAM: 8GB or more
- Graphics: Dedicated GPU with hardware video encoding support
- Storage: SSD with at least 5GB free space for recordings
- Display: 1920×1080 or higher resolution
Hardware-accelerated video encoding is automatically used when available, significantly improving export performance.
Recording Capabilities
Maximum Recording Quality
Open Screen can record at up to:- Resolution: 4K (3840×2160)
- Frame Rate: 60 FPS
- Bitrate: Up to 45 Mbps (4K) or 28 Mbps (QHD)
- Codec: WebM container with AV1, H.264, VP9, or VP8
The actual recording quality depends on your display resolution and system capabilities. Open Screen automatically selects the best available codec and settings.
Codec Priority
Open Screen automatically selects the best supported codec in this order:- AV1 (best compression, newest)
- H.264 (best compatibility)
- VP9 (good balance)
- VP8 (fallback)
- WebM (generic fallback)
Required Permissions
Open Screen requires specific system permissions to function properly. You’ll be prompted to grant these on first launch.- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
Screen Recording Permission
Required to capture your screen or application windows.Grant via:- Open System Settings (or System Preferences)
- Go to Privacy & Security > Screen Recording
- Enable the toggle for Openscreen
Accessibility Permission
Required for some screen capture features.Grant via:- Open System Settings (or System Preferences)
- Go to Privacy & Security > Accessibility
- Enable the toggle for Openscreen
Full Disk Access (for installation)
Required to run the installation bypass command if the app is blocked by Gatekeeper.Grant to Terminal:- Open System Settings (or System Preferences)
- Go to Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access
- Enable the toggle for Terminal (or your terminal app)
Platform-Specific Installation
macOS Gatekeeper Bypass
Since Open Screen is not signed with an Apple Developer Certificate, you’ll need to bypass Gatekeeper:Why is this needed?
Why is this needed?
Apple requires all distributed apps to be signed with a paid Developer Certificate. Since Open Screen is free and open-source, it doesn’t have this certificate. The
xattr command removes the quarantine flag that macOS applies to downloaded apps, allowing the app to run.This is safe for open-source software where you can verify the source code. Always download from the official GitHub releases page.Linux AppImage Sandbox Error
If the app fails to launch with a “sandbox” error:The
--no-sandbox flag disables Chromium’s security sandbox, which may be incompatible with some Linux configurations. This is safe for trusted applications like Open Screen.Dependencies
Open Screen is built with the following core technologies:Runtime Dependencies
- Electron 39.2.7 - Cross-platform desktop framework
- Chrome WebCodecs API - Hardware-accelerated video encoding/decoding
- WebGL/PixiJS - GPU-accelerated rendering and effects
- Web Demuxer - Video stream demuxing
All dependencies are bundled with the application. You don’t need to install anything separately.
Graphics Requirements
- WebGL 2.0 support (for rendering effects)
- VideoDecoder/VideoEncoder API support (built into Chromium/Electron)
- Canvas 2D API support
Open Screen requires a GPU capable of WebGL 2.0. Most GPUs from 2012 or later support this.
Storage Requirements
Application Size
- Installation: ~200-300MB (varies by platform)
- Updates: Downloaded incrementally (typically 50-150MB)
Recording Storage
Recording file sizes vary based on resolution and duration:| Resolution | Frame Rate | Bitrate | File Size (per minute) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4K (3840×2160) | 60 FPS | 76.5 Mbps | ~575 MB |
| 4K (3840×2160) | 30 FPS | 45 Mbps | ~337 MB |
| QHD (2560×1440) | 60 FPS | 47.6 Mbps | ~357 MB |
| 1080p (1920×1080) | 60 FPS | 30.6 Mbps | ~229 MB |
| 1080p (1920×1080) | 30 FPS | 18 Mbps | ~135 MB |
| 720p (1280×720) | 30 FPS | 18 Mbps | ~135 MB |
Browser Technology Requirements
Open Screen uses modern web APIs that require recent browser engine versions:- WebCodecs API (Chromium 94+) - Hardware video encoding/decoding
- Web Demuxer - Video container parsing
- Canvas2D and WebGL 2.0 - Rendering pipeline
- MediaRecorder API - Screen capture
These are all built into Electron 39 (based on Chromium 132). You don’t need to worry about browser compatibility.
Troubleshooting System Requirements
App won't launch on macOS
App won't launch on macOS
- Ensure you’ve run the Gatekeeper bypass command
- Check that you’ve granted Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions
- Try right-clicking the app and selecting “Open” instead of double-clicking
Recording fails to start
Recording fails to start
- Verify screen recording permissions are granted
- Check that you’ve selected a source (screen or application) to record
- Ensure you have sufficient disk space (at least 1GB free)
- Try restarting the application
Export is very slow
Export is very slow
- Check if hardware acceleration is available (shown in export logs)
- Close other resource-intensive applications
- Use a lower quality preset (Medium or Good instead of Source)
- For GIFs, reduce frame rate or use a smaller size preset
Linux sandbox errors
Linux sandbox errors
Run the AppImage with the
--no-sandbox flag: