Recording your screen in Windows 10 is the only way to capture every instance of a live game, app, or open browser window. These screenshots are automatically saved in MP4 and other video formats and can be broadcast to Facebook, YouTube, and other destinations.
This article covers the best methods to record the Windows 10 screen using native apps like Xbox Game bar as well as third-party apps.
Also read:The Best of VLC: 7 Useful Things You Can Do in VLC Media Player
1. Use AMD Radeon Software
If you’re the proud owner of an AMD graphics card, then assuming you have the drivers and accompanying Radeon software package installed, you have access to some excellent screen-recording tools with just a couple of keyboard button presses.
To make sure screen recording is enabled, open Radeon Software, click the Settings cog at the top-right corner, then “General.” Here, under recording, make sure “Record Desktop” is enabled (Ctrl + Shift + E). You can change various settings, of course, like recording resolution, frame rate, bit rate and so on.
You can also enable Instant Replay (Ctrl + Shift + S) here, which will let you save a video showing anywhere between your last 15 seconds and 20 minutes of screen time.
2. Using Xbox Game Bar
If you want a no-frills recording of every instance on your screen, Windows native Xbox Game Bar is the easiest way. You can either launch it from the Start menu or use the short-cut Win + G to open the application. If any issues pop up, you can reinstall the application from the Microsoft Store.
Make sure you enable “record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar” from the app settings.
You can set the configurations for recorded video, audio quality, and video quality.
As soon as the game or app is online, press the red circle in the game bar to start recording. To stop, hit it again or use Win + Alt + R. The screenshots and videos are saved as a default in “D:\Videos\Captures.”
3. Use NVIDIA Control Panel
If you are using a NVIDIA graphics card in your computer, you can use the NVIDIA Control Panel application to capture your screen and broadcast online. (Here’s how you can find out what GPU you are using in your Windows 10 system.) After installation, it can be accessed from the Start menu.
Set up the screen resolution, refresh rate, and other settings in the control panel.
The official NVIDIA site has downloads of all necessary game drivers. Download and install GeForce Game Ready driver.
It will take a while for the driver to install properly.
The graphics driver will undergo a basic system compatibility test so that it can be used as your rig for the NVIDIA Control panel. Once done, you have to log in using your NVIDIA account or Facebook, Google, etc.
When the NVIDIA GeForce rig is ready, turn on the in-game overlay or use Alt + Z to get the below screen. You can broadcast live to Facebook and YouTube.
Hit the Record button to start recording the screen. NVIDIA Control Panel will be invisible to you unlike the Game bar. Use ALT + F9 to stop and resume anytime.
3. Use Screen Recorder Pro for Windows 10
Screen Recorder Pro is one of the most advanced, yet completely free, Windows 10 apps to record not only everything on the screen but also the webcam. Once installed from the Microsoft Store, it is accessible from the Start menu.
Compared to earlier apps, Screen Recorder Pro has multiple options to view the screen – including full screen, specific screen, specific region, only audio, and desktop duplication – which is for faster DirectX games. It encodes the files in ffmpeg format for MP4, H.264, GIF, and WebM formats. You can choose to include or exclude mouse clicks and keystrokes from the top menu.
Press the red circle to begin recording.
While recording, the screen recorder is completely invisible. You can use the hotkeys Alt + F9 to stop and resume anytime. The Shift + F9 combination will pause the recording.
All the saved screenshots and videos are available from a folder named “Captura.”
4. Use Debut Screen and Video Recorder
For more advanced screen-recording features, we recommend Debut Screen and Video Recorder. This is completely free to use for non-commercial purposes.
The good thing about this app is that it can support a very large number of resolution formats along with fast capture. These include Android devices (480p and 720p), iPhone versions up to iPhone X, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo 3DS and more.
It can also encode for H.265 quality, which is the only one in our list.
To start recording, hit the red circle. You can use Ctrl + F10 to stop recording.
The recording happens in the background without any obstructions. Once the recording is stopped, use Ctrl + F9 to resume.
This article has taken a look at some of the best ways to capture screens in Windows 10 for any kind of activity on your screen. If you’re looking for something pertaining to games only, you can use gameplay tools such as XSplit or OBS, which have more advanced features. If all you need is a screenshot of the screen, this shows how you can capture a scrolling screenshot in Windows 10.
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