Recording your gameplay on Steam just got (much) easier

After the announcement of a new Steam controller yesterday, Valve’s news is definitely buzzing! The latest beta version of the PC client offers players the chance to discover a new recording feature, which makes it much easier to capture in-game videos.

The end of external recording tools?

Today, recording games from a PC game is unnecessarily complex (compared to a console, for example). You necessarily have to use an external tool, like OBS or Nvidia GeForce Experience, or even opt for an acquisition card. Already allowing you to take quick screenshots, Steam is preparing to welcome a brand new tool dedicated, this time, to video.

Simply called “Game Recording”, this tool has already been available since the latest beta version of the Steam client on PC and allows you to “create and share your gameplay videos, and works with all titles on Steam” – that’s to say 99% of games available on computer.

Its operation is both simple and clever. Of course, the recording can be triggered manually, but Steam makes it easy to identify highlights in long videos, based in particular on the obtaining of trophies following the defeat of a boss, for example. This feature can also be used for training purposes, thanks to a rewind function to understand which attack of this boss ofFire Ring knocked us out.

To make life easier for editors, a timeline is available at any time and allows you to add landmarks manually, in addition to those automatically identified by Steam based on trophies obtained.

Easy sharing and saving

Available on Steam in the broad sense (and therefore also on Steam Deck), the new game recording function allows you to retrieve your files in MP4 format directly from your storage drive and easily share them with your Steam contacts – or on other social networks. The tool is well designed and even allows you to design a QR code or a temporary link allowing you to share and download your clips.

On the performance side, Valve announces that its tool works thanks to the graphics card of the machine and not thanks to the processor in order to reduce the potential impact of recording on the fluidity of the games.

Valve’s FAQ, however, says nothing about recording games launched in HDR. A particularity which poses numerous compatibility problems with current tools allowing gameplay to be recorded. However, everyone is free to try this new feature, simply by clicking Interface > Client Beta Participation.