Steam has just introduced a new feature for players called Game Recording. Though still in the beta-testing phase, Game Recording is exactly what it sounds like: a built-in feature that allows users to record and share gameplay footage.
Players can use Game Recording to record a quick clip of a particularly impressive 360° no-scope kill in a live-service game, record an entire RPG campaign playthrough, and everything in between. Clips can then be edited as needed (for instance, cutting out all the shots you missed prior to an impressive headshot) and then uploaded for the world to see.
Game Recording has two modes: Background Recording and On Demand Recording. In Background Recording mode, gameplay is continuously saved to the player’s preferred drive (never exceeding the player’s specified recording duration or storage limits). On Demand Recording mode can be used at-will, stopping and starting via manual input from the player. Steam’s new Game Recording tool also allows players to use the Steam Timeline and Event Markers included in the mode to locate and mark high-intensity moments in the recording.
There’s also a Replay option, which can be used to get a better idea of how your character inexplicably died during a fight, or replay NPC dialogue you may have missed the first time around.
“In addition to being able to record any game you’re playing, timeline-enhanced games are games that can proactively notify Steam when relevant events happen,” reads Steam’s official Game Recording webpage. “These events are represented along the timeline with details specified by developers.”
Game Recording works with any and all games on Steam, and is also compatible with Steam Deck, allowing players to record and share clips from their Steam Deck to their PC or phone. Additionally, Game Recordings can be exported in .MP4 format for editing outside of Steam.
The new tool also has privacy settings, which allow players to select options that will prevent Game Recording from capturing footage of their desktop and other parts of the screen that aren’t part of a game. According to steam, more features are coming to Game Recording, including “individualized game settings” which are reportedly “coming soon.”
