How to Set Up a Wheel Spinner in OBS for Your Twitch Stream

A spin wheel on stream is one of those things that seems simple but delivers outsized engagement. The visual — a colourful wheel decelerating to a stop while chat erupts with predictions — is compelling in a way that "I'll DM the winner" simply isn't. Whether you're picking giveaway winners, assigning game challenges, or letting chat choose your next game, the wheel creates a moment.

This guide covers how to add WheelNamer to OBS Studio or Streamlabs Desktop in under 10 minutes, and how to use it effectively on stream.

Why use WheelNamer for your stream?

• Cryptographically random: Uses crypto.getRandomValues(). Your chat can trust the result is genuinely unpredictable.
• Customisable colours: Match your overlay palette — dark backgrounds, neon, pastel.
• Lightweight: A browser canvas running WheelNamer won't compete with your game capture for GPU resources.
• Free, no account required: Open, build your wheel, spin. Nothing to install or pay for.

Part 1: Setting up in OBS Studio

Step 1: Build your wheel in WheelNamer

Open wheelnamer.com and add your entries. For a giveaway: paste your viewers' names. For challenges: add your challenge options. Customise colours to match your branding.

Click the Share Wheel button in the toolbar — it's next to Save Wheel at the top of the page. WheelNamer generates a permanent link for your exact wheel and copies it to your clipboard automatically. You'll see a green "Link copied — paste to share!" confirmation in the toolbar. That link is what you'll paste into OBS.

Step 2: Add a Browser Source in OBS

1. In OBS Studio, select or create the scene where you want the wheel to appear
2. Click the + button in the Sources panel at the bottom
3. Select Browser from the list
4. Name it (e.g. "WheelNamer Wheel") and click OK
5. In the URL field, paste your WheelNamer URL
6. Set Width and Height — 700 × 700 is ideal for most layouts
7. Leave other settings at default and click OK

Step 3: Position the wheel in your scene

Drag the Browser Source to where you want the wheel in your scene. You can resize it by holding Alt and dragging the red handles to crop, or by holding Shift to resize proportionally.

For a dedicated "Giveaway scene" — create a new scene just for wheel spins. Transition to it when you're ready to spin, then switch back to your main scene after.

Step 4: Use fullscreen mode for a clean look

In OBS, right-click your Browser Source and select "Interact". This opens a control window for the browser. Click the fullscreen button in WheelNamer. Now only the wheel fills the source — no browser chrome, no toolbar, no ads.

Alternatively, use the OBS browser source's built-in CSS to hide elements if needed.

Part 2: Setting up in Streamlabs Desktop

The process is identical to OBS Studio:

1. In Streamlabs Desktop, select your scene
2. Click the + button under Sources
3. Select Browser Source
4. Paste your WheelNamer URL
5. Set dimensions (700 × 700 recommended)
6. Click Done

Use the Interact button in Streamlabs (right-click the source) to switch WheelNamer to fullscreen before going live.

Part 3: Running a giveaway on stream

The most common streamer use case. Here's the optimal flow:

1. Close your giveaway entries (have a mod or bot collect names from chat)
2. Paste all eligible viewer names into WheelNamer (you can do this mid-stream)
3. Transition to your dedicated wheel scene
4. Announce to chat: "The wheel is live — watch closely"
5. Interact with the OBS Browser Source to spin the wheel
6. Let chat react as the wheel slows
7. Announce the winner once the popup appears
8. Click Remove, spin again for multiple prizes

The live spin typically generates a peak in chat activity — it's one of the highest-engagement moments in a stream. Don't rush it.

Part 4: Challenge and game wheels

Beyond giveaways, the wheel shines for challenge streams. Examples that work well:

• Difficulty wheels: Easy / Normal / Hard / Nightmare / One life. Spin at the start of each session.
• Restriction wheels: Pistols only / No jumping / Melee only / Partner picks your loadout.
• Game picker: Add 6 games you haven't played yet. Let the wheel decide each stream.
• Punishment wheels: Pop off with a creative kill? Spin for the punishment challenge.
• Character/class wheels: For RPGs or roguelikes — spin for your class, race, starting skill.

Tips for a smooth setup

• Bookmark your wheel URL. Use the Share button to create a permanent link and bookmark it. One click and your wheel is live with all your entries already loaded.
• Test before going live. Add a test scene and spin the wheel several times to verify it renders cleanly before your actual stream.
• Set the Duration to 20+ seconds for big reveals. A slow, dramatic spin builds more suspense for giveaway moments than a quick 5-second spin.
• Adjust wheel colours to match your brand. WheelNamer lets you customise segment colours — match your overlay palette for a cohesive look.
• Enable sound. The wheel's ticking sound and winner cheer play through your stream audio — highly engaging for chat.

Common issues and fixes