Best Video Game Recording Software
Playing video games is one of the most fun and rewarding hobbies – whether fighting a challenging boss for the best loot or just hanging out with friends online. Want to know what could make gaming even more rewarding? Streaming or recording your gameplay to share with friends and others. You could record yourself beating that really hard level, making an awesome trick shot, or laughing out loud during a jump scare. You can do that with the right game recording tools. The best part? You can pick from several apps that are either free or do not cost a bomb. In this post, we will share with you the top 5 game recording software that will help you capture professional-quality gaming video without overpaying a dime.
#1 — Movavi Screen Recorder
This software from Movavi is a lightweight streaming and game recording application for Windows PCs that claims lag-free performance with a single click. You can broadcast and record simultaneously, overlay your camera, and control everything using hotkeys so that you don't have to stop games. This free screen recorder for PC supports many formats, can leverage NVIDIA and Intel hardware acceleration, and can record 4K video at up to 120fps. It records audio streams separately, allowing you to remove bloopers or unneeded footage without disrupting in-game audio.
Pros:
It supports recording in 4K resolution at up to 120 frames per second.
It allows users to record in-game audio and their own commentary simultaneously, with the ability to save audio streams separately for easier editing.
It employs NVIDIA NVENC and Intel HD Graphics for hardware acceleration.
It allows simultaneous streaming and recording, making it convenient for users who want to share their gameplay live while capturing it for later use.
Cons:
The free software version includes watermarks on recorded videos.
The free version restricts recording time to 10 minutes per session.
#2 — OBS or Open Broadcaster Software
Open Broadcaster Software is the preferred choice for video game content creators to stream live on Twitch, YouTube, Kick, and TikTok. OBS is also great for recording gameplay as well as live streaming and recording simultaneously. It’s easy to set up depending on which platform you intend to stream on.
The screen-capturing program can record in MP4 and FLV codecs and leverages your PC's GPU for high-quality streaming. It records in a 1:1 ratio, which is the same as your panel. OBS lets you use several plugins while recording your game.
Pros:
OBS is free.
It has versions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Capture high-definition video.
Supports streaming to popular platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook.
Manage multiple audio sources with filters for noise suppression and gain control.
Cons:
The OBS UI may have a learning curve for new users.
OBS uses a lot of resources when streaming or using multiple sources at a time.
#3 — Streamlabs OBS
Streamlabs OBS is the go-to, beginner-friendly, video recording and streaming platform. It is easy to use and has several integrated features that will allow you to record and broadcast your games. Streamlabs OBS has the same functions as the original OBS but with a simplified UI, making it more of a skinned version of OBS.
Pros:
Beginner-friendly UI that makes it easy for new streamers to set up their streams quickly.
It has easy-to-apply built-in tools such as alerts, widgets, and themes.
Streamlabs OBS lets you stream to multiple platforms simultaneously (multistreaming).
Cons:
Streamlabs has a lot of bloatware, causing it to use more resources than OBS Studio, which may lead to performance issues even on higher-end systems.
Many of Streamlabs’ advanced features require Streamlabs Prime, their paid subscription.
Streamlabs is less customizable than OBS.
#4 — Nvidia App Beta (ShadowPlay)
If you own an Nvidia GPU, you should definitely install the Nvidia Beta software. Apart from installing your Nvidia drivers, the program also contains Nvidia's ShadowPlay function, which allows you to simply record games. The Nvidia app recorder can record at the same resolution as your display, so if you have a 4K display, your recordings will likewise be 4K. However, our favorite feature is the immediate replay function. This feature makes it possible to capture the final seconds of your game with a single key bind, saving you miles of gigabytes in storage space.
Pros:
Nvidia ShadowPlay is free.
Lets you automatically capture the last moments of gameplay.
ShadowPlay uses Nvidia's hardware acceleration.
Supports recording in 4K at 60 frames per second and even 8K at 30 frames per second.
Cons:
ShadowPlay is only compatible with Nvidia GeForce graphics cards. And even then they must be a GTX 600 series or newer.
Some players report having lag issues while using ShadowPlay, even if their game is optimized.
#5 — Radeon ReLive
Like, Nvidia AMD has its own recording software. Enter Radeon ReLive (formerly AMD ReLive), the company's proprietary software for recording gameplay on an AMD GPU. Like the Nvidia, AMD's ReLive uses the GPU for the majority of the encoding, freeing up CPU resources for other tasks. The effect on frame rates is minimal, but it may fall short in more sophisticated streaming configurations. Additionally, the program supports upscaling. As a result, if you're playing at 1080p, you can still record in 4K UHD. If you have an AMD GPU, you should absolutely try Radeon ReLive.
Pros:
The software is designed specifically for AMD graphics cards.
Radeon ReLive streams directly to Twitch and YouTube.
Easy to adjust recording quality, frame rates, and audio settings.
‘Instant Replay’ lets you record your gameplay in the background and save recent moments with a hotkey.
Cons:
Radeon ReLive can only be used on AMD graphics cards.
The Instant Replay has a limited buffer capacity, causing it to sometimes miss saving the right moment of gameplay.
Radeon ReLive lacks many advanced features found in other streaming software.
Pick Your #1 Software
Capture every moment of your gameplay with these popular and advanced game recording software options. They have powerful customization tools to help you produce high-quality recordings that look as if they were captured by a professional. Whether you are looking for a screen recorder for Mac, Windows, or Vista, we have you covered.