How does YouTube Bitrate affect video quality? Comparison of Video Bitrates at 4k 60 ft. Cyberpunk

Today I compare 25 mbps, 50 mbps, 75 mbps and 100 mbps video bitrates for 4k 60 gameplay in Adobe Premiere to see whether it's worth using significant additional bandwidth uploading high bitrate footage.

It seems that in most cases the best YouTube bitrate for 4k60 is 50 mbps, with 100 mbps not making a large difference. 25 mbps is absolutely acceptable for those with slower internet, but if you have the bandwidth to spare, it may be worth using.

Knowing this information I still strongly recommend capturing your local video in CRF 17 because for creating thumbnail shots, it's good to have a crisp (perfect) image. It also makes running analysis such as FPS counting possible.

Just a side note, even if you do not record / play in 4k, I strongly recommend upscaling to 4k because YouTube dramatically raises their bitrate on 4k vs 1080p.

(C) Eric Parker 2021