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Many people love to play and record moments of their triumph in Warcraft, World of Tanks, Dota, or Call of Duty. Often they upload videos of their gameplay to YouTube and share their recordings with friends. If you also want to show the world your gaming achievements, take a look at our selection of the most popular programs for recording video from the screen on your PC.
1. XSplit
XSplit is used primarily for streaming on Twitch, but the program also has a recording function. A built-in video editor allows you to edit your posts before sending them to social media. Priced at around $9 per month, you’ll get additional features like your own watermark, video annotations, picture-in-picture mode, etc. To record video in XSplit Gamecaster, follow these steps.
- Download and install the program with xsplit.com.
- Click the Settings tab and set the parameters for your recording. You can choose ready-made profiles or create your own.
- Click the Hotkeys tab and set the hotkeys to start and end the recording process.
- Click OK to apply the parameters.
- Start the game and press the hotkey.
The video quality is quite good, but not better than other tools. It makes sense to use this program for the sake of additional functions if you do not mind paying for them.
2. BandiCam
Bandicam is a simple tool for recording video in HD and standard resolution. It has everything you need. The software allows you to select the video quality compression level, turn on and off the system sounds and pause the recording, which helps to prevent unpleasant merging of the video.
The software allows you to record the video in 4K Ultra HD with a customizable frame rate. Using a special algorithm, Bandicam compresses the video to achieve the smallest possible size without losing quality. Your recordings can easily be uploaded to YouTube without special preparation.
The procedure for recording a game video is as follows:
- Download and install Bandicam on your PC with bandicam.com.
- Click on the Video tab, then select Settings.
- Set the necessary image and sound settings for your recording: format, resolution, frame rate, codec for video, etc. If you need a microphone when recording video, select it from the Secondary Sound Device drop-down menu.
- When you’re ready, click the red Record button to start recording.
- To stop the process, click Stop. To view the video, click on the path to the file in Bandicam.
Now that you have a game video, you can edit it and upload it to YouTube using Freemake Video Converter.
There are two versions of Bandicam: paid and free. Be careful when installing the free version to avoid unwanted panels appearing on your computer. Also, keep in mind that the free version of Bandicam allows you to record videos for no longer than 10 minutes and gives out a massive number of notifications, so it’s better to purchase a paid one for $39.
3. Fraps
Fraps is another game recording tool. It doesn’t have many features. However, Fraps can be called one of the best applications for capturing gaming video – it allows you to record video in a resolution of 7680×4800 with a customizable frame rate from 1 to 120 per second. No other program gives such quality. The procedure for using Fraps is as follows:
Download and install the program on your PC with fraps.com. It is better to purchase the paid version for $37 – in the free version, there are restrictions on the length of the video, and watermarks are added to the videos themselves.
- Launch Fraps and click on the Movie tab.
- Set the hotkey to record the video.
- Set the frame rate and audio settings for your video.
- Collapse Fraps and launch the game.
- To start recording, press the hotkey.
When the video is ready, you will have to use any video editor to make changes and upload it to YouTube. Despite this, Fraps is an excellent program for quality-obsessed with quality. Please note that YouTube does not support the Fraps video recording format. To compress the recorded video or upload it to YouTube, you can use the free video converter from Freemake.
4. Open Broadcaster Software
Open Broadcaster Software deserves a place in this collection. This app is free, open-source, and provides many features, including streaming your gameplay to your Twitch account. Unfortunately, this solution is not suitable for those who need to record a game clip quickly. Additional preparation is required for OBS. Here’s how it works.
- Download OBS from obsproject.com and run the program on your computer.
- Click the Settings tab, locate the Broadcast settings section, and select File Output Only mode. If you want, you can immediately stream your game.
- Close Settings and open Source. Right-click on the desired source and select whether to record the entire monitor or a specific area. If you have multiple monitors, you can select one of them and set additional options.
- To start recording, click start.
OBS is not a simple program. Use other tools if you don’t want to waste time on manuals and settings.
5. Windows 10 Game Bar
If you have Windows 10, you don’t need any additional programs. The system has a built-in application for recording game videos – Game Bar. It is easy to use and records high-quality videos. Here’s how to use it:
- Start the game and start playing.
- Press Win+G.
- The game bar appears. To change the video settings, use the Options tab. You can start recording with the appropriate button or the key combination Win+Alt+R.
- To stop recording, press the same combination.
- Your recording will be saved in . MP4 in the Video Clips folder.
6. D3DGear
D3DGear is another compact application for recording gameplay. It has a built-in compression feature that reduces the size of your video while maintaining good quality. The program does not require specialized technical skills. In addition, D3DGear allows you to stream live video to services such as Twitch, YouTube, and Hitbox and fully supports the microphone. To record video in D3DGear, follow these steps:
- Download and install D3DGear on your PC with d3dgear.com.
- Click the General tab, and then set the desired picture and sound options.
- Enable the Screenshot option if you want to take screenshots directly during the recording.
- To apply the parameters, click OK.
- Start the game and start playing, the program will start recording automatically.
Overall, D3DGear is an excellent option for those who need a simple app with all the necessary settings.
7. Nvidia’s ShadowPlay
With Nvidia’s ShadowPlay, you can also record game videos. The program uses the video processor of the latest Nvidia GeForce graphics cards to improve performance instead of the CPU. Please note that ShadowPlay requires a Geforce GTX 600 or better graphics card. The application can record video in 4K resolution at 130 Mb/s. If desired, you can configure Shadowplay to stream the game to your Twitch account.
The program has two recording options: automatic, which saves the last 20 minutes of your game, and manual, which allows you to start and stop recording arbitrarily. Here’s how it works:
- Download Nvidia ShadowPlay from geforce.com and run it on your PC.
- Set the desired picture and sound quality.
- Select a mode.
- Start the game and start recording.
ShadowPlay is suitable for those who need excellent quality and will not interfere with large files.
8. Action
Action is an excellent tool with several great features. It allows you to record videos in Ultra HD quality with high frame rates and live commentary. The application also has a remote control function that will enable you to access the program from an Android smartphone.
Action also has a built-in video editor to crop the image, rotate it, make slow-motion clips, and much more. What’s more, your game videos can be easily streamed to all popular sites like YouTube, Twitch, Livestream, etc. To record game video in Action, follow these steps:
- Download and install the program with mirillis.com.
- Launch Action and click the Video recording tab.
- Choose the recording mode, the output format of your video (AVI, MP4), set the recording size and frame rate.
- Set the sound options.
- To start recording, click on the big red Record button.
In a nutshell, Action is an easy-to-use program with a friendly interface and many features. However, it is not free – you will have to buy the application for $29.95.
9. WM Capture
WM Capture is a small program that can record everything that happens on the screen of your PC, including the gameplay. It can record the entire screen or a specific area and save the result in AVI, MPEG, WMV, and other popular formats. Here’s what you need to do to use this app.
- Download and install WM Capture from wmrecorder.com.
- Run the program and open Settings.
- Set the video settings and the audio source (speakers or microphone).
- Start the game.
- To start recording, click the Record button.
WM Capture is suitable for those who need to make a lot of screen recordings. The license costs $39.95.
And which game video recording app do you prefer? Share your opinion in the comments!
