Steam Game Recording might be one of its best features yet, allowing players to capture and share footage using the launcher itself

Steam behind a magnifying glass
(Image credit: Shutterstock - Casimiro PT)

Valve has added a new Game Recording feature to Steam. The feature, currently in beta, does what it says on the tin; allowing players to capture and share game footage through the Steam launcher without any external software.

The Game Recording feature is detailed on its dedicated landing page, where it explains that players can use it to capture individual highlights or even record "entire campaigns," hinting that there's no limit to the length of recorded footage beyond what your PC's storage allows.

The website then details the four core pillars of the Game Recording feature. Firstly, Background Recording mode captures gameplay during your session without exceeding storage limits or duration set by the user. An 'On Demand Recording' mode is also available, letting players stop and start recording at the press of a button. They can then go into footage and access its timeline to pick out key moments or perform basic editing.

The second option is Replay, which seems to act similarly to how PS5 and Xbox consoles record and save gameplay events that just happened. As Steam itself puts it, this will be a useful feature for figuring out how you just died or if you want to recall crucial dialogue spoken by an NPC.

Next is the Clip feature. Pretty self-explanatory, this one. It pretty much lets you trim footage down to a select segment of gameplay; undoubtedly handy for sharing specific clips with friends or even piecing together YouTube Shorts.

Lastly, and perhaps most obvious, is the Share feature. Steam's Game Recording feature lets players efficiently convert clips to MP4 format for sharing online and across social media. You're even able to send clips between devices, like from Steam Deck to PC or vice versa, for example.

Valve also confirms that Game Recording is Steam Deck Verified, meaning you'll be able to record footage while you're on to go, too. It seems like a very promising feature, and I'm sure many players will appreciate being able to do all this through Steam for ease of use rather than relying on third-party software.

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Rhys Wood
Hardware Editor

Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

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