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While some gamers use recording software to boast their kill-streaks, others indulge in creating game walkthroughs.
In either case, recording software that doesn’t impact the actual gaming performance is sought-after by gamers and streamers alike.
We reviewed various video recording apps and came up with the best of the best game recording software for avid gamers who want to record and stream their gameplay.
Professional game recording software lets you record in HD or 4K. While most free streaming & game recording software supports 720p or 1080p recording, you will need a premium paid version to record in Full HD and 4K.
Moreover, your system should have an i5 3rd gen / Ryzen 3 2200 or the latest processor for glitch-free recording and to enjoy a seamless gaming experience.
Best Game Recording Software: User’s Guide
Considering the number of game recording software available in the market, you need to keep in mind a few factors before selecting the right game capture software.
Here are a few points that will help you zero in on the right game recording software.
Frames Per Second (FPS)
FPS is one of the most important criteria that dictates the clarity and quality of your game recording. With game recording software taking a chunk out of your RAM, your PC will churn lower FPS.
While competitive PC games are rendered at up to 200 frames per second, DOTA 2, Warzone, or even Fortnite gameplay needs to be recorded in at least 80 FPS if you want to capture the games’ true essence.
Supported FPS has a lot to do when it comes to narrowing down the best game recording software.
Price
Not everybody needs professional video recording software. Going for pro-gaming screen recording software is a waste of money especially when you are just getting started.
Paid game recording software definitely provides a better result than free ones however you need to make sure your PC matches up to its hardware specifications.
Also, you can opt for a perpetual license or opt for a subscription plan. Depending on how often you are looking to record screens and your budget constraints go for the right pricing structure.
PC Performance
Your game preference will determine which software is the best suitable for you. As a rule of thumb, you should choose a game recording software that can record higher frames than what your system can generate.
Exotic video recorders will demand a lot of processing power and can hamper your game performance. So depending on your PC configuration go for a lightweight application that doesn’t gorge on your system’s memory.
Hotkeys for Game Recording
Hotkeys can come in handy when you record gameplay. You can configure key combinations to start recording videos, capture gameplay and take screenshots of the whole screen.
With the help of hotkeys, you need not worry about launching your game recorder and can record gameplay using its game bar while already in the game.
Video Editing Capability
If you look at the best recording software used to capture gameplay, almost all feature a built-in video editor. Once you are done recording gameplay, then you can leverage the editing tools to edit gameplay footage.
The video editor also lets you add annotations, captions and choose from various transitions to make it social media-ready.
Supported Recording Source
Apart from screen recordings, an ideal game recorder should also record audio. Depending on your preference you can choose to capture audio from a microphone and also record your facial expressions through webcam recording.
For your reference, this is PewDiePie’s reaction to Minecraft. If you wish to record gameplay make sure your application can record game sound as well as record video through a webcam while you are playing games.
So, now that you know what you’re getting into, let’s dive right in!
Best Gaming Game Recording Software in 2022
11. XSplit Gamecaster
Xsplit Gamecaster by SplitmediaLabs is a good recording software, offering both recording gameplay and content streaming for free. It has a simple user interface, a perfect choice for first-time users.
XSplit Gamecaster is simple to install and is ready to use after a few simple steps like connecting to Twitch, Facebook, or YouTube.
You can even save the recording in a capture card or a separate application. Xsplit Gamecaster will also allow you to use your webcam feed into the recorded video and also capture microphone sound simultaneously.
It offers you to download HD quality video at a base rate of 25 FPS and a max FPS of 60.
Xsplit Gamecaster even stores all your files on the cloud, making it easier to access this application from any device.
It provides you with a large number of pre-designed overlays and widgets to give a professional touch to your recording. You also get third-party software integrations such as Elgato, Spotify, and Restream.
XSplit is a great gameplay recording software, but for Windows only.
10. Dxtory
Dxtory screen recorder is perfect for capturing gameplay with applications using OpenGL and DirectX frameworks. The developer’s Exkode puts a higher emphasis on capturing the pixels as in the original file to create a lossless video of the gameplay.
This application supports separate audio sources recording directly from game audio, live audio commentary from the microphone, and two other sources as per the user’s choice. Users can also access the source files and mark them for live streaming.
Apart from screen recording, audio mixing, Dxtory is capable of taking a screenshot using simple shortcuts. Users can pre-set the format of these screenshots before using the application.
It is a video recording software for Windows and supports all versions from 64-bit Windows XP to 64-bit Windows 10.
Dxtory also supports a wide range of APIs and many advanced features. However, until a premium version is purchased, it inserts the Dxtory Logo on both screenshots and videos. The full version is available for 3800 JPY, roughly $38.
9. Fraps
Fraps is a popular game recording software, dominating the entire recording domain for over a decade. It is a lightweight game recording software with an old user interface. Installation takes less than a minute to complete.
Fraps offer three features – Benchmarking, Movies, and Screenshots. Under Movies, you are allowed to record video in many pre-set video settings at a maximum of 60 FPS and a custom minimum frame option.
Here you will also get to save your sound from Stereo and Multichannel with options to hide the mouse cursor and lock frame rate in the video.
While the free version has not been updated since 2013, you can get the latest updates after registering for an amount of $37. It offers bundled packages for multiple users, and the price per user decreases with higher orders.
One registered user can download the latest version of Fraps on any device after entering their login credentials used during purchase.
8. CamStudio
Although CamStudio launched its stable release in 2016, it has been in the screen recording business since 2001. It is definitely among the best game recording software available in the market.
A series of successive acquisitions and mergers has finally led to ownership under Adobe Macromedia, a subsidiary of Adobe System Inc.
CamStudio is an open-source screen recorder that allows you to capture video, screenshots, and audio through a mic, which makes it perfect for creating game walkthrough tutorials.
You can use custom crop to record gameplay of a specific area and select from multiple formats (You don’t get this feature everywhere!) The key highlight of this software is restriction-free recording length.
This software also contains advanced drawing and watermarking tools to prevent others from using your work.
Make sure to uncheck the browser and search engine extensions while installing the CamStudio application. You can download a video at up to 70 frames per second.
Despite having a fair share of controversy to contain malware after its stable release, the company has consistently worked towards its reputation.
As of April 2017, out of 79 malware scanners, only 1 reported CamStudio to be infected with malware. Users should not download this application from anywhere but from the official website.
7. Movavi Screen Recorder
Movavi screen recorder is a free application that provides premium services in 3 different packs, Screen Recorder, Recorder with Editor, and Complete Video Suite. By default, these packs come in a one-year plan.
Movavi supports both Windows and macOS. It can record live streams and webinars apart from games. Movavi allows you to record sounds either through the speakers or microphones. However, exported videos from the free version come with a watermark.
Here you can choose to stream a selected part of your screen by cropping the video, capturing your webcam feed, recording only audio, schedule recording for reminders, or downloading the videos of your favorite streamer.
It records your keyboard and mouse strokes as well. This feature can come in handy while you are recording games and injecting cheats into them.
The premium plans begin from $39.95 per year and increase for bundled plans.
Movavi’s user interface is simple and makes it easy for new users, unlike the overwhelming applications with loads of professional features.
Overall one of the best recording software for creating high-quality gameplay videos.
6. Nvidia GeForce Experience
NVIDIA GeForce Experience is proprietary software, which offers a host of facilities including, game recording. Apart from recording, it is also capable of streaming live videos, updating your gaming drivers, and optimizing your game settings.
This software is optimized to work using your GeForce card’s processing power instead of eating your CPU performance.
Since it uses GPU to record, the frame drops are below 10 FPS, which makes this software a one-stop solution for the entire gaming and streaming-related performance issues.
The downside with GeForce Experience is its limited game support and capability to work with only Nvidia Graphics. Guess What? You can’t complain about its incompatibility with AMD cards.
At least you now have a manufacturer-optimized game recorder and one of the best game recording software around!
GeForce Experience doesn’t have any hardcore system requirements and works perfectly with Windows 7 or later. We recommend using this application with the Geforce 700 series or later.
5. AMD Radeon Relive
With NVIDIA and its own recording software, how can AMD be far behind? AMD Radeon ReLive is the proprietary recording and downloading software specifically for AMD graphics cards.
Radeon Relive downloads gameplay videos at a default 60 FPS and follows the footsteps of Nvidia’s GeForce Experience using the GPU for recording.
Radeon Relive can also record hardware-accelerated upscaled videos. You will be able to download in higher resolution as compared to the actual gameplay. Play games at 720P and record HD quality videos. How cool is that!
Radeon Relive can record videos up to 4K resolutions so you can offer the best resolutions to your subscribers. You should expect a performance drop of 5-10% in general but above 10% in graphic intensive games such as Control.
Radeon Relive has extensive recording options and controls, from creating multiple Profiles to selecting Video Resolutions, Audio bitrate, FPS, and Instant GIFs. Instant GIF files can be a maximum of 15 seconds.
This application works only with AMD RX 400 and RX 500 or later series cards and 64-bit Windows 7 or above.
If you have a compatible AMD card, this is one of the best free game recording software around!
4. Bandicam
Bandicam is one of the best free game recording software with an amazing three-in-one recorder bundle. It is capable of Screen Recording, Game Recording, and recording-specific applications.
The free version acts as crippleware, to lure you into purchasing the premium version and that’s even better.
Bandicam has extensive recording settings, including FPS tuning and multiple video settings. It supports both AVI and MP4 modes and uses a compressive recording technology that requires less storage space without compromising on resolution.
Bandicam can also record at a maximum of 192 bitrate audio in both Stereo and Mono settings.
But there’s a catch. The Game Recording Mode initiates only while running applications or software using Directx/ OpenGL.
All recorded files are downloaded in the Documents folder. It displays available and/to used space on the top right corner with convenient access to controls to Record, Pause, Camera, Microphone, and Webcam.
You can record at up to a whopping 480 FPS! (You will need hardware acceleration though).
The premium version of this application comes at a one-time payment of $39.95 for 1 PC and $59.96 for 2 PCs. Worthy recording software for PC.
3. OBS Studio
OBS Studio is the ace in the hole for new users to keep up with pro streamers. Today, just live streaming via the available software is not enough to keep notching more subscribers.
You also need editing software on top of downloading software, OBS Studio can be the perfect go-to solution. It is free-to-use open-source software created with help from small contributions and sponsorships.
OBS Studios provides high-performance audio/video mixing, Modular UI, Pre-set broadcasting configurations, and a host of pro-grade features. Some of these features are not even provided by leading premium services!
The reason behind its open source is sponsorship from Facebook and Twitch, Api Video, and Own3D pro.
It is compatible with all 3 operating systems, Windows, Mac, and Linux. Users get to use 8 different scenes with easy transitions between them.
Apart from live streaming, the OBS Studio can also be used as a recording software for PC, to create video tutorials, record games, and even for streaming videos.
It also has a nifty feature called Studio Mode, which lets you preview before steaming the videos.
OBS studio offers API integration, plugins, and scripts for extra customization and fine-tuning everything as per your expectations.
OBS Studio can be used as a stepping stone for creating more-complex streaming setups. You can use Python or Lua scripts to improve the integrations.
2. WonderShare
Filmora WonderShare is here to empower the video creator hiding inside you. It is another crippleware with amazing audio and video editing features. You name an editing task and Filmora Wondershare has it.
Wondershare works perfectly with the latest devices but this is a performance-hungry tool. We recommend having at least 4 GB of RAM, which goes to 8GB for HD and 4K videos.
Wondershare recommends at least 2GB of VRAM for AMD processors or Intel HD 5000 or later for basic image rendering. You should have at least an intel i3 6th generation or AMD equivalent processor with a 64-bit Windows 7 operating system.
You can perform various fine-tuning to your videos like Speed Control, Color Grading, Split Screen, Multiple live streams, and edit videos just from one application, and a lot of keyboard shortcuts are there to speed up the editing process.
Your trial version will provide all the features of a premium service, except the Wondershare watermark will be present in all exported content.
This software is compatible with both Windows and macOS and has 3 premium plans to offer. Monthly plans begin at $7.99, with an Annual subscription available at just $39.99, and a Lifetime license for roughly $70.
A lifetime purchase keeps getting the latest updates. You also get advanced encryption with purchased plans for better security.
Any purchase is liable for 30 days of money-back guarantees. This is among the best game recording software for PCs, especially gaming PCs.
1. Streamlab OBS
The prime highlight of Streamlabs OBS is its integration-friendly user code, which enables you to integrate YouTube and Twitch chat within the streaming screen.
SLOBS also supports live streaming to Facebook, Twitch, and Facebook with layout support. There are over 100s of layouts to select for your video.
Its dynamic in-game overlay enables game chatting and controlling without compromising the screen space. The most talked-about feature of this software is the Live Tab, which provides a clean dashboard showing recent events, live previews, and chat in a single tab.
Streamlabs OBS has a bevy of widgets that you can directly upload to your video stream. These widgets can transform your video into a professional one.
You can even set stream Twitch alerts for integrating donations. SLOBS can undisputedly claim itself to be the best game recording software available in 2022. And that too for free.
Conclusion
Perhaps the first thing you need to consider before downloading a free game recording software to get things started is whether your PC fits the application’s minimum requirements.
Expect at least a 30% FPS drop while live streaming your game. That’s the last thing you want to happen when you start streaming.
If your PC can still manage 120 FPS while streaming, you’re good to go. Now consider whether you want to live stream or stream later after editing the gameplay recording. Either way, don’t let streaming hamper your game.
Upgrade your PC first in case of performance issues. Then, just download any of these best game recording software and you are good to go.
