With OBS Studio 31 just around the corner, the team has decided to change the version numbering scheme used. Over the years, OBS has grown significantly, and according to the devs, finding the right balance between adding new features, maintaining stability, and making versioning clear for users is very important.
For those unfamiliar, OBS Studio has been around for over ten years, evolving immensely in functionality, code complexity, and community. This growth brought its fair share of challenges, especially regarding development and organization.
Up until version 30, there wasnโt a consistent system for versioning. Releases came when there were enough new features or fixes, and version numbers were assigned based on how significant those changes seemed.
However, this led to inconsistenciesโsometimes, major version numbers indicated breaking changes, while other times, they were simply packed with new features.
Now, with version 30, OBS has started following proper semantic versioning to bring more clarity. Okay, but what does semantic versioning mean? In short, it is a system for labeling software versions logically and consistently so users and developers understand the significance of changes.
More specifically, starting now, it will follow a MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH format, like 30.0.1. Here’s an explanation:
- PATCH: Includes bug fixes or other small tweaks that need immediate attention.
- MAJOR: Introduces big, breaking changes that might require users or developers to adapt.
- MINOR: Adds new features or improvements without breaking anything.
For your reference, OBS Studio’s versioning wasn’t as clear as it could have been in the past. For example, the release of OBS 28.0 included an update to the underlying UI framework, which broke compatibility with several plugins.
However, the version numbering didnโt fully communicate the significance of this change, leading to confusion and frustration among users and developers.
That’s why OBS has committed to usingย majorย version numbers strictly for updates that fundamentally change how users interact with the software or affect developers by modifying APIs or dependencies to prevent this from happening again.
So, in the future, users can expect minor version updates to be more common, while major updatesโthe ones with breaking changesโwill happen roughly once a year. This doesnโt mean OBS development is slowing down; rather, it’s about making releases more predictable and less disruptive.
For more information, refer to the official OBS Studio announcement.
