Capture Your Best Gaming Moments: A Guide to Recording Gameplay on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch/Switch 2

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Knowing how to record gameplay on PC and consoles allows you to capture your best gaming moments and share them with others. While most modern platforms automatically record gameplay in the background, accessing these clips or capturing that perfect moment can be tricky. We’re here to guide you through the process, whether you’re recording on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC.

Once you’ve mastered recording your gameplay, submit your best clips for a chance to win $100 Amazon vouchers every month.

On the PS5, internal capture is user-friendly, continuously running in the background and saving up to an hour of recent gameplay. To access this feature, press the Share button on your controller to open the create controls, then select the Save Recent Gameplay option, where you can choose from various clip lengths up to 60 minutes. You can also double-tap the Share button to save a recent clip, which defaults to 3 minutes but can be adjusted in settings. If you plan to export your clips, it’s advisable to change your PS5 capture settings by navigating to Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Captures > Video Clip Format and selecting Most Compatible (MP4) for easier use elsewhere. You can trim clips in the PS5 Media Gallery and either copy them to a USB drive or upload them to the PlayStation App on your phone if linked to your PSN account.

Xbox capture also runs continuously in the background, though it offers slightly less flexibility. To save a recent clip, press the Xbox button to open the guide and hit the X button to save the last 30 seconds of gameplay, or press the View button to select a duration and save up to the last 2 minutes. You can start a manual recording by pressing the Xbox button, then selecting Capture & Share > Start Recording, which can run for up to 10 minutes on internal storage or 1 hour when using external storage.

If you have a newer controller, the Xbox Share button can be used to save gameplay footage. By default, holding the button records a clip, but this can be customized in the settings. Captured footage is automatically uploaded to the Xbox network, where you can view and manage it using the Xbox mobile app.

For Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, recording options are limited. You can only press and hold the Capture Button (the small square button) on the left Joy-Con to save the last 30 seconds of gameplay. These clips can be viewed and edited in the Album, then transferred to your phone via the Switch App or to your computer using a USB-C cable. For longer recordings, consider using external capture devices.

On PC, many players utilize ShadowPlay, accessible by downloading the NVIDIA App. Once installed, simply hit Alt+Z while gaming to bring up the share overlay, allowing you to save previous or upcoming gameplay videos. There are also keyboard shortcuts to toggle manual recording and save the last 5 minutes of gameplay, so you can keep the action going while preserving your highlights.

If you game on Valve’s platform, you can use the built-in Steam Game Recording feature to capture and share your gameplay. Check the settings by going to Steam > Settings > Game Recording or open the Overlay and select the Game Recording tab. You can enable always-on background recording for up to 120 minutes or record on demand. This feature works seamlessly on Steam Deck, allowing easy clip transfers between devices.

For those with a PC or laptop capable of recording from external devices, this is a great way to capture console gameplay without internal limitations. Recording directly to your computer means you have immediate access to your footage, eliminating the hassle of transferring it from your console.

Devices like the Elgato HD60 series are ideal for this purpose, and older models can often be found at reasonable prices. Keep in mind that this setup may introduce latency, so you might need an HDMI splitter to separate the signal between your display for live gameplay and the capture device. Ensure your console has HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) enabled to prevent issues with recording copyrighted material from streaming services.